Sticky Sweet Sugar
by SunKing
Summary: Both POVs of Sticky Sweet and Sugar combined in one story. City Girl Bella meets Class Clown Edward when she moves to small-town Tennessee. He's gorgeous, flirtatious, and possibly downright nuts. Can she hold onto her heart around a guy who flirts with anything that breathes? So much fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Guys, if you have me on alert, I'm about to spam your boxes. Thought it would be fun to combine these two into one, with both POVs. I won't be offended if you've already read and decide to take me off alert until I'm done posting. If you haven't already read Sticky Sweet and Sugar…enjoy.**

Stares followed me down the hall to my battered red locker, but no one approached. I'd heard people from the south were friendly but had yet to see some proof. Instead of smiles, there were mildly curious expressions and downright nasty frowns. Overalls, T-shirts, and denim shorts seemed to the fashion in the mountain town of Cedar Ridge, so I didn't fit in with my designer handbag.

"Hey, New Girl."

The voice startled me, and I dropped my books into a pile at my feet.

"Those generally go inside the locker."

There was a drawl to the words and a friendliness I wasn't expecting. I shut the door slowly and revealed a tall, blond boy on the other side. He was leaning against the metal with a smirk on his handsome face. Lanky, lean, and utterly relaxed, he nodded, and his smirk spread into a smile.

"I'm Jasper."

"No way. Has everyone stopped the 'staring at the new girl' portion of the day and started the 'mess with the new girl' part?"

His blue eyes widened comically as he stuttered. "Wh-what? I'm not messin' with you."

I rolled my eyes and shouldered my bag. "You can't be serious. Jasper?"

"It's a family name," he muttered.

He looked so hurt that my heart kind of twisted with remorse. The one person who'd finally been nice to me, I'd managed to alienate immediately. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed his arm to stop his retreat.

"I'm sorry. It's…it's just an unusual name. I think I like it, though."

The boy burst into laughter and wrapped his arm around my neck, pulling me in for a quick hug. "You're all right, New Girl. You don't have to back down so quick next time. I can take it."

Confused, I stumbled out of his playful embrace and straightened my top. He let me go easily and nodded to someone behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, but the pressing issue was still in front of me.

"So is your name Jasper or not?" I demanded.

"Yeah, I'm Jasper, and I get shit for it all the time. You're not the first, and you won't be the last. That's my girlfriend, Alice, behind you. She's been dyin' to say hi all day."

I turned to see a short girl with dark, shoulder-length hair looking me up and down. A bemused grin crossed her face, and it grew into a genuine smile when she met my gaze.

"See," she started, "we have to be friends, if for no other reason than for me to raid your closet every morning."

Several emotions flooded me at once—relief that my clothes weren't going to get me run out of town, irritation that the girl thought she could borrow my clothes before even learning my name, and amusement at that very same gall.

"Well, I imagine you're too small for most of my things, but I've got some stuff left from seventh grade, I think."

Jasper snorted a laugh as indignation crossed the smaller girl's face.

"Think she'll do?" he asked, wrapping one arm around his girl and the other around me.

Alice fixed me with a teasing glare from across the expanse of Jasper's chest. "I'll have to see her shoe collection, but we can probably come to an agreement."

I let them both lead me toward the cafeteria, finally secure in the possibility of new friends. The wary expressions from earlier had transformed into grudging admiration, though a few girls still eyed my clothes with disdain.

My new friends invited me to sit with them at lunch, which was a relief. I'd had nightmares about eating at my own table or even hiding away in the library to avoid the stares. I still got a lot of stares, but they were easier to handle with Jasper and Alice as a buffer. It wasn't long before we were joined by a boy even taller than Jasper and a quiet, pretty blonde. They introduced themselves as Emmett and Rosalie before jumping into comfortable conversation.

An empty seat sat across from me, and I wondered why they would leave it in the middle of the group rather than sitting closer together, but the question was answered before I could ask when another beautiful boy dropped into the chair with an impish grin.

"Principal Letner again?" Alice asked in a bored tone.

"Yep. He loves me. He wants to have my babies."

I wanted to laugh, but my vocal cords were frozen. He was truly the best looking guy I'd ever seen up close, and he beat a lot of the guys on television, too. My gaze wandered over him, taking in his riotous red-gold hair, twinkling green eyes, devilish smirk, well-formed shoulders, and dirty T-shirt stretched across a broad chest.

His eyes widened when he finally noticed me seated on one side of Jasper, and he glanced over at Alice with even more mischief.

"Jasper, are you hoggin' all the girls again? If you're claiming the new girl, can I finally have Alice?"

Emmett and Rosalie both cracked up, letting out loud guffaws of laughter, but Alice reached across the table to smack the top of the beautiful boy's head.

"Gross, Edward! You're my cousin."

My stomach twisted in revulsion as the boy waggled his eyebrows first at Alice and then at me.

"What? The closer kin, the deeper in, right, New Girl? Too bad she's not my sister."

I just stared. I had no words to give.

He turned his attention back to Jasper. "Well, if you're going to be selfish, I'll go look elsewhere. New Girl, if you get tired of sharing his attention, look me up."

Without another word, he was gone, leaving me staring after him with my jaw unhinged.

"And that's Edward," Jasper informed me.

"He flirts with anything that breathes, but don't take it to heart. He doesn't have a serious bone in his body." These were the first words Rosalie spoke directly to me.

"Even his _cousin_?" I breathed, watching Edward's gorgeous backside as he shoved through the cafeteria doors.

"Especially his cousin," Emmett assured me. "Welcome to Cedar Ridge, where you're the only person who doesn't share genes with the rest of the school."

"Not true!" Alice shouted indignantly when I eyed Jasper's arm around her shoulder. "We've had a few new people before you. Jasper and Rose moved here two years ago."

"We called dibs," Emmett whispered.

"Jeez, guys. You're gonna scare the hell out of her." Jasper turned to me with a reassuring smile. "You're not in the middle of _Deliverance_, I promise. He's just nuts, showing off for the new girl, trying to make everyone laugh."

"You'll see." Alice nodded sagely. "He's a crazy bastard, but we love him."


	2. Chapter 2

Edward:

I knew who she was the moment she arrived. Her truck was the only thing about her that blended, but even if she'd been dressed like everyone else, I'd have felt her. She'd been my dream for two years—always out of reach except in my head. Then, with no warning, she'd tumbled out of her truck and into my life.

"Holy shit, there's a new girl." Tyler Crowley grabbed the sleeve of my T-shirt and pulled me closer so I could ogle with him.

_Mine._

"You'll keep your hands off."

Tyler stepped back in shock and put his hands up as if to say, "She's all yours," but then seemed to think better of it. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced across the parking lot to see the girl approaching.

"I'd say she's fair game, wouldn't you guys?" He looked around at Mike, Conor, and Eric to find them all nodding in agreement. "I don't think it would take to long to get those lips wrapped around—"

My fist stopped his words.

Tyler stared at me for a moment, shocked and confused, before launching himself into my chest. I went down with a startled _oof_, but gathered my wits quickly.

"Respect, Tyler," I grunted, planting my elbow in his solar plexus. "You don't talk about girls that way, especially not her."

He scrabbled and scratched, trying to free his arms enough to throw a punch, but I had him locked down.

"Edward Cullen!"

Mr. Letner's voice cut through the shouts and jeers of the guys who'd surrounded us, and I surrendered my hold on Tyler with a grin.

"Wouldn't be a school day if you didn't start it in my office, would it?" Mr. Letner tipped his head toward the doors of the school, inviting me to follow him.

I clambered to my feet, resisting the urge to kick Tyler while he was down, and glared at the rest of the guys. "You won't touch her. In fact, if you can't be nice, you won't talk to her. Clear?"

Without waiting to see their reactions, I turned and followed the principal to his office. Mr. Letner was already behind the desk, sitting tall and imposing, even though he knew it wouldn't impress me much.

"Care to tell me what that was about?" He stared down his nose at me.

Had I been a lesser man, I might have cowered. Instead, I shrugged and met his gaze.

"Tyler said some rude things about the new girl. I took a moment to re-educate him on the definition of respect."

Letner's face softened almost imperceptibly. He was a sucker for that word. Motivational posters covered the walls, each offering their own version of the meaning of respect.

"Did you have to resort to violence, Edward? Couldn't you have educated him in a more mature way?"

I snorted. "Tyler doesn't understand big words, sir. I had to speak his language."

Mr. Letner was silent for a few moments, mulling over the situation in his head. "Do you think he learned this time?"

A smirk crept over my face as I nodded. "Oh, yeah. Pretty sure they all did. I reserve the right to school him again, if need be."

The principal rolled his eyes and tried to hide a smile. "And I reserve the right to put you in detention if you do."

He released me without assigning the dreaded detention but stopped me before I could get out the door. "You're a bright kid, Edward. Sometimes I even wonder if you're a genius. Use that intelligence to do something great, not just for planning the next big prank."

I thought of the girl with the chocolate eyes, the girl I'd been dreaming of for two years, and nodded. She was going places, her Granny Edna had told me. And I had every intention of going there, too.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella:

My new friends assured me he wasn't incestuous or inbred, that he only liked to say things for the shock value, but I still didn't know how to take him. I'd never met anyone like him, not even in my massive school in Phoenix.

Imagine my surprise when I took my seat in Biology, only to find I was paired with Flirt Extraordinaire for the rest of the semester.

"New Girl," he exclaimed with a jaunty wink. "This day keeps getting better and better."

Edward turned the stool around and straddled the back of it, allowing his legs to dangle over the sides. He looked silly and uncomfortable and completely unaffected.

"Bella," I responded. "I'll only be the new girl for a little while. I've been Bella forever. Might as well start using that name now, since it never goes out of style."

"Oh, I'm really gonna like you." One side of his incredible mouth quirked up into something more than a smirk and less than a smile. Pretty, white teeth peeked through, and then the tip of his tongue swiped across his bottom lip quickly.

My cheeks flamed, sending waves of heat all the way down my chest. If I hadn't been sitting, I probably would have fallen. As it was, I was in danger of melting right off the stool.

"Oh, my God. You snark back _and_ you blush? You're a dream come true. Can I take you home with me? Keep you under my pillow?"

Before I could answer and really embarrass myself—because his offer sounded _amazing_—the teacher called the class to order.

"For those who've never been in any of my classes before, I'm Mr. Banner. We'll go over the syllabus first to make sure everyone's in the right class, and then we'll meet our new student, Isabella Swan."

"Oh, no," I groaned, planting my face in my hands.

I hated the traditional first-day introductions, even though I'd done them more than once in my high school career. I prayed Mr. Banner would forget his promise and move right into the lecture, especially since every student was already watching me curiously.

Rather than follow along with the class, Edward dug two pencils out of his bag and began an air-drumming session to whatever music was playing in his head. The longer he played, the more exaggerated his movements got, until he was crashing imaginary cymbals all over the top of the lab table. Just as Mr. Banner finished up the summary of his expectations for the class, Edward finished his drum solo with a flourish, tossed his "drumsticks" to an invisible crowd, and stood victoriously with his hands over his head.

Mr. Banner, completely oblivious, looked right at me and nodded me toward the front of the room. "Isabella? Come tell us about yours—"

"Thank you and good night!" Edward yelled over the teacher. He followed that with sounds of an audience screaming as he bowed to the rest of the class.

I was the only one looking. No one else seemed surprised by Edward's impromptu performance. Not even Mr. Banner bothered to get angry. He simply sighed and waved Edward to the door, handing him a pink slip with _Detention_ scrawled across the top as he passed.

What the hell had I just witnessed? The only person who'd gotten anything at all out of the performance—aside from Edward—was me.

Just before he opened the door, Edward looked back once and caught my gaze. He nodded and winked, then slipped out without a sound.

In the aftermath of Edward's concert, Mr. Banner completely forgot he'd been about to mortify me. The reprieve, however brief it was, inspired too much affection for the boy who'd stolen my thunder as though he knew I didn't want it anyway.

Ridiculous. Handsome. Silly. Gorgeous. Shocking. Stunning. Hilarious.

_Jesus, help me. First day of school, and I've already got a crush._


	4. Chapter 4

Bella:

"Oh, hell." The southern lilt on Rosalie's tongue was prettier than any I'd heard, save for Edward's of course. Her words, however, were the opposite. "You've got stars in your eyes."

"Do not," I muttered, dragging my gaze away from a boisterous Edward on the other end of the parking lot.

He was wrestling playfully with Emmett, while ducking punches from Jasper. On occasion, a girl would pass by on the way to her car, and he would stop and tease her for a second. Some girls passed without a second look, while others were engaged for several minutes. I wondered if I'd get a second look.

I had just shaken off the thought when three beautiful girls approached the boys. Alice stiffened and clenched her fists, but Rosalie seemed unconcerned. Of course, if I'd been as beautiful as Rosalie, I wouldn't have worried about any of those girls either. Alice's irritation interested me, though, and I stopped to watch the proceedings.

Edward nodded at all of them and even spoke, but he continued to roughhouse with the boys throughout the conversation. He didn't wink or poke at them; none of the flirtatious signs I'd seen were there.

When the girls moved on, Alice relaxed and let out a deep sigh. I felt myself doing the same thing, even though I didn't have any claim on any of the boys.

"Tanya, Irina, and Kate," Rosalie said.

Her tone implied I should know who they were, but they'd not been in any of my classes. Alice growled and took off across the parking lot toward Jasper, a proprietary gleam in her eye.

"Who are they?" I asked Rosalie as we followed the fuming girl.

"More cousins. They're not related to Jasper, though. They've all been after him since we got here. Alice knows where his heart is, but it doesn't stop her from getting pissed off when they try to make moves on him."

"All of them?" I had a mental image of the three strawberry blondes getting in regular catfights over the one guy in school who didn't share their blood.

"They work together when it suits them. If he were to give any one of them anything at all, it'd be every girl for herself."

I was stunned, trailing after my new friends. The school was obviously small. Mrs. Cope, the secretary, told me only forty had graduated the past year, and the current class had about thirty-five students. In a school that small, fresh meat of any kind was exciting, but the ante was raised when the current students were all cousins. Edward's incredibly inappropriate joke from lunch suddenly became hilarious.

By the time I reached the rest of the group, Alice had calmed down and was placing tiny kisses all over Jasper's jaw. Emmett released Edward from a headlock and put Rosalie in one, instead. She accepted his silliness with grace and a smile.

"So, New Girl. Didja get phone numbers for half the football team today?" Edward's eyes glinted with something new, something more than mischief.

I ducked my head and stared at the ground. My fascination with the family dynamics of my new small town hadn't quite registered as far as what it meant for me. If my musings had been correct about the cousins chasing Jasper, the only boy in school who wasn't related to them, wouldn't I have been inundated with boys looking for something similar?

A rush of shame washed over me. Where I should have been the hottest commodity on school grounds, I was instead overlooked, or worse, found wanting. It was sobering and humbling, and I suddenly wished for my overpopulated school in Phoenix. At least there I'd had a good reason for being invisible.

"No?" Edward reached over to tip my chin up with his forefinger, a cheeky grin lighting his face. "Guess I called dibs soon enough. Lucky me."


	5. Chapter 5

Edward:

"Something on your mind?"

Mom was sharp. I should have known she wouldn't miss my brooding, sighing self. I couldn't help it, though. A whole day with Bella Swan in my school. In. My. School. I'd made an ass of myself more than once, but at least she'd smiled. No point in leading her to believe I was something I wasn't.

"New girl."

Mom's lips quirked for a moment, but she managed to subdue the smile. I loved her a little more for it.

"Just one day and you're all torn up?"

It wasn't just one day, of course. But it might as well have been. I was hers the moment I saw her photo. If I hadn't met her until her first day of school, I still would have fallen that hard that quickly.

"It's Bella. Granny Edna's Bella."

We sat in silence as she digested the information. She knew of Bella. I hadn't shut up about her for over twenty-four months. It was embarrassing, really, how much my mom knew about my feelings. She had to have known how far I'd go to make the girl mine.

"Something you're not telling me?" Her voice was soft but firm.

I had no choice but to spill the beans. I told Mom everything, as long as Emmett wasn't around to make fun of me.

"I got detention."

Her lips pressed into a hard line, but her eyes still sparkled with good humor. "If I yelled every time that happened, I wouldn't have a throat anymore."

"I also got in a fight."

Mom's eyes narrowed, and any trace of a smile disappeared. "Is this what the detention was for?"

I fidgeted, pushing my pen around on the paper like I was answering homework, but she knew I was avoiding her. With a sigh, I met her irritated gaze.

"No. I didn't get detention for the fight. Mr. Letner let me off because I kicked Tyler's ass for saying he'd have Bella sucking his—"

"That's enough." Mom interjected, her smile back in place. "I guess maybe your daddy and I raised you right after all. What was detention for?"

I remembered the mortification on Bella's face when she thought she'd have to stand in front of the class and spill her deepest secrets. The air drumming session had simply been an unconscious gesture until I realized I could distract Mr. Banner and maybe save Bella the embarrassment. It had worked like a charm, and detention was a very small price to pay for one of her smiles.

"Disrupting class. I pissed Mr. Banner off so bad he forgot to make Bella introduce herself."

Her shoulders shook with repressed laughter. "Oh, Edward. You make it so hard to be mad at you. You've really got it bad, don't you?"

"For two years. I just don't know what to do now. I kind of think I made an ass of myself today. What if she never takes me seriously?"

A thoughtful expression overtook the amusement. "You're a catch, Edward. She'll see that."

"You're supposed to say that. You're my mom." I rolled my eyes mightily, but I was secretly pleased.

"Just be yourself. You might want to cool it a bit at first. I mean, don't tell her you've been stalking her photos at Granny Edna's or anything. Give her a chance to get to know you before you scare her."

Fair point well made.


	6. Chapter 6

Bella:

"Hey, New Girl!"

A thrill shot through me. I knew that voice after only hearing it for one day, but I didn't raise my head or acknowledge him. After all, I'd told him to call me Bella.

"Are you ignoring me?"

The smile fought, but I won. My expression remained neutral as I watched the numbers on the gas pump in front of me go up. With only fifteen dollars in my pocket, I couldn't afford to lose focus, not even for Edward.

"Really, New Girl? You're gonna ignore this?"

Without thinking, I mumbled, "Yes. Ignoring. Ignore, ignore, ignore."

"You really shouldn't have said that."

I had to look up at his teasing tone. He was climbing into the bed of his pickup truck, an expression of sheer determination on his handsome face. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he stepped on the ledge of the back window and hoisted himself onto the roof.

"I'm hot, sticky sweet… From my head to my feet, yeah." He shouted the words to the popular tune, swiveling his hips to the rhythm.

"Oh, my god."

My cheeks heated under his pointed gaze, but then my heart exploded as he teased the hem of his T-shirt up and gave me a glimpse of toned, tanned muscles at his waist. His jeans hung low and showed off the tight V of his hips. Before I could even register what I was seeing, he whipped the shirt over his head and started spinning it like a propeller.

After he tossed his shirt aside, his hands went to the button of his jeans. I couldn't take my eyes off him, even though I knew I should. The denim slid down his legs to pool at his ankles, but he didn't try to take them off over his boots. Instead, he stood in one place, shaking his ass to the beat in his head, shouting "Pour some sugar on maaayyyy," in his delicious southern drawl.

"What are you doing? You're going to get in trouble."

I berated him even as I stared at his navy blue boxers. They were snug, but not too tight, and looked incredible against his sun-kissed skin. He caught me looking and turned to shake his backside in my direction. It was the nicest ass I'd ever seen, bar none.

"Can't ignore me now, can you, New Girl?"

"_Bella_. My name is Bella."

At the very same time I spoke two things happened. First, the gas nozzle clicked off, telling me I'd filled the tank. Second, a sheriff's cruiser squealed to a stop in front of the gas station.

"Shit." I tried to hide my face, but it was too late.

"What the hell is going on here?" the sheriff roared.

Without waiting for me to answer, the policeman strode over to Edward's truck. The little tease was yanking his pants back up, but he didn't get them fastened before the cop hauled him off the roof.

"Who the hell are you?"

Edward, who'd been so keen to shout at the world just moments earlier, was struck dumb. I had no choice but to intervene.

"This is Edward Cullen from school. Edward, meet my father, Charlie Swan."

The color drained from Edward's face as he looked back and forth between my father and me. Then he did the last thing I ever expected. He turned around, placed his arms behind his back, and calmly awaited the handcuffs.

My father stared, shocked at Edward's complicity, and then his mustache twitched. It was a sign I knew well. Laughing at that moment was the last thing he wanted or needed, but my father was about to lose it. Before that could happen, he dragged Edward over to the cruiser and shoved him into the backseat.

My new…friend, for lack of a better word, watched with wide, scared eyes, as Dad shut the door and locked him inside.

I realized I still held the gas nozzle and hastily put it back so I could greet my father. He held it together until the pump hid him, but then he couldn't keep it in any longer. With deep, wheezing breaths, he huffed out his laughter until tears streamed down his face.

"Uh…" I wasn't sure what to say. "You're not mad?"

"Oh, hell, kid. I did worse than that to get a girl's notice when I was his age. I'm just gonna scare him a little bit and then send him on his way. You know, if you paid him just a little attention, he probably wouldn't resort to taking his clothes off in public."

A giggle escaped me as I remembered Edward screaming Def Leppard at the top of his lungs, but it stopped short as Rosalie's words echoed in my head.

"He flirts with everyone, Dad. I'm not special; I'm just fresh meat. Someone who hasn't seen his tricks yet."

Dad pulled me into a hug and chuckled into my shoulder. "Don't be too sure about that, honey."

I let his words comfort me—allowed the possibility there was a purpose to Edward's showboating. I'd never been anything special, didn't consider myself beautiful or even pretty. Fathers always thought the best of their daughters, so I let him and accepted his words as truth for one moment.

And then I let it go.

Feeling plain was better than feeling the pain of a broken heart. Edward was a notorious flirt. Even his friends had warned me about him. Pinning my hopes on any show of interest would only get me hurt in the end.

Dad headed back to his cruiser, shaking his head in amusement. Just before he opened the door, I remembered the fifteen dollars in my pocket and the pump that told me I owed fifty.

"Hey, Dad? I, um, got distracted while pumping my gas and forgot to stop it at fifteen. Can you help?"

He grumbled a bit but handed over the cash with a wink. "Go pay while I take care of your paramour."

"You're so weird," I muttered.

When I returned, Edward was getting out of the backseat of the cruiser looking properly chastised. Dad rolled down his window to give him one last bit of advice before driving away.

"Keep it in your pants, son."


	7. Chapter 7

Edward:

In the most ridiculous move I'd ever made to impress a girl, I stood on top of my truck with my pants around my ankles. My mother would never forgive me, but the blush on Bella's cheeks and the faint smile on her face as she pretended to ignore me made everything worth it.

Worth it, that was, until the cop car came to a screeching halt in front of the gas station. I didn't even have time to consider pulling up my pants before I was dragged off the roof of the truck and introduced to Bella's father in the way most likely to get me killed before my eighteenth birthday.

Life officially sucked. I would go to juvie. I was way too delicate for jail.

Also, the last thing Bella would remember of me before I died at the hands of another delinquent who did so much worse than a strip tease to Def Leppard's—arguably—greatest hit was the handcuffs that would make it impossible to cover my pansiest boxers.

I hadn't thought ahead, or I might have chosen black or red—anything but baby blue. What self-respecting guy wooing a girl wears baby blue boxers?

There was no time to even say goodbye as I was hustled into the back of her father's cruiser and locked inside. I tried not to watch forlornly as she left me there while she went to pay, especially since her father was on his way over to rip me a new asshole.

"So you're Edward Cullen." He stared at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes appraising my every move.

The net between us was just as intimidating as the man, and I worked hard not to piss myself.

"Yes, sir."

What else could I have said?

"I was under the impression you were a nice young man. Edna's not usually wrong about these things."

_Oh, God. _If Granny Edna had been talking about me, there was no telling what Bella already knew.

"Uh, well…I do some dumb stuff on occasion."

The man's mustache quivered for a minute, but his eyes remained hard. "You don't say."

Silence descended, and it was worse than if he'd yelled at me. I was just about to beg him for the handcuffs and a night in jail if only he'd say something when he finally spoke.

"She's a special girl."

My breath whooshed out of me in a rush, and before I could stop myself from showing every card I held, I vomited words.

"You have no idea. She's like no one I've ever met before. It's not just that she's pretty, because, Jesus, she's stunning. And it's not that she's smart and nice and funny. She's just…"

I remembered who I was talking to and clamped my lips shut quickly. He'd never let me within fifty feet of her…and he could do that, too. He was her father, after all. And the police.

"Letner said you got in a fight defending her honor."

Christ. The principal and the sheriff were already friends. I was screwed.

"Said you were trying to teach the boys respect," he continued, studying me in the mirror.

I wished he'd turn around and just talk to me.

"They said some pretty disgusting things," I answered quietly. Inside, I was raging all over again.

"Well, do you think it's respectful to take your clothes off in front of her?"

Fuck. The man had a point.

"Tell you what, Edward Cullen. In spite of what I've seen today, I'm gonna take Edna's word for it that you're a good kid. I'm also gonna take her word for it that you're nuts about my girl, though, which means I'll be keeping my eye on you. Don't mess up again."

Then and there, I promised myself I wouldn't take my clothes off around Bella again.

Unless she asked me to.


	8. Chapter 8

Bella:

"So your dad's the sheriff, huh?"

Edward's words brought the conversation at the table to a screeching halt. I glared at him for spilling the beans and then sighed. Everyone would have found out eventually anyway. At least the story was more embarrassing for Edward than for me.

"You wouldn't have known that if you hadn't decided to take your pants off at the Gas 'n Go."

"What?" Emmett burst into laughter. "You stripped at the gas station? Dude, what is wrong with you?"

"Erotic dancing," Edward defended. "And she's changing the subject. How do we know she's not going to tattle on us when we do crazy shit?"

"Uh, here's a thought. Don't do crazy shit." I advised this with a straight face, but inside I was giggling. It was like telling Edward not to breathe.

"Like that's gonna happen," Rosalie mumbled, echoing my thoughts.

I sat back and eyed them all, hoping I wasn't about to be ejected from my new group. Jasper looked sympathetic, Alice looked amused, Rosalie looked bored, and Emmett looked like all his birthdays had come at once. Only Edward had a problem with my father the cop.

"Bet you've had friends who dumped you when they found out, huh?" Jasper asked quietly.

I shrugged. If I'd had many friends, they probably would have. I'd been invisible in Phoenix, and that's why I wanted to hang onto this new group of beautiful people for as long as I could.

"You think we're gonna dump you now?" Edward leaned across the table, his voice as serious as I'd ever heard it.

I shrugged again. The others would probably still talk to me, but Edward was the one who'd been in the back of my dad's cruiser. Edward was the one I'd developed a raging crush on. Edward was the one who mattered the most.

"You're stuck with us, New Girl."

The words crawled right into my soul and warmed me from the inside out. What I wouldn't give to really be stuck with him—preferably somewhere dark, with a soft bed and…

I shook off the fantasy and narrowed my eyes, determined not to let him see how he affected me. "If you don't start calling me by my real name, I'm gonna dump you."

Edward held my glare for several moments while the rest of the table cracked up. Through their hooting and jabbing, he stared, his face giving nothing away. Finally, he cracked a smile, his perfect, white teeth flashing.

"Fair enough, Bella. We don't want to lose you either."

What I heard was _I don't want to lose you,_ but it was a dream, a desperate hope.

"Is he the reason you moved here?" Alice was ready to move past the whole ordeal and change the subject.

"We moved to be near family," I said.

All movement at the table ceased. Edward's expression would have been funny if it hadn't worried me so much.

"You mean you're a cousin, too?" Jasper hooted with laughter.

I realized what they'd been thinking and couldn't help laughing with him. Edward still wasn't smiling.

"Being family doesn't always mean you're from the same tree. My dad served in the Army with a guy from here. They were like brothers, really. I even called him my uncle. We used to come visit all the time, actually. I remember sitting out on the front porch and listening to the tree frogs. I couldn't understand why we didn't have them in Phoenix. When my uncle passed away, we moved so my dad could take care of his mom."

"We probably saw each other all the time and didn't know it." Alice's voice was hushed with awe. "How crazy is that?"

I shrugged. "There's a good chance. Dad used to take me to the park and let me play while he and my uncle played tennis. We might have played together in the sandbox or something."

"And you just moved…no questions asked. Just like that?" Rosalie looked awed. "We almost killed our parents when they told us we were moving here."

"I have good memories of Cedar Ridge, and there wasn't much holding me in Phoenix. Besides, it's just two years here and then college. Even if I do get bored, which isn't likely with you guys around—" I sent Edward a pointed look "—I won't be here long enough to die from it."

"Well, I'll just have to work harder to make sure you stay entertained." He grinned and stood.

Everyone at the table, me included, groaned and prepared for the worst.

"What? I'm just throwing away my trash. Even I need some recovery time in between performances. After my little scare with Officer Swan yesterday, it'll take me at least another hour to work up the courage for my next trick." He leaned down and looked me right in the eye, his face close enough to feel his warm breath on my cheek. "You won't die of boredom between now and then, will you, Bella?"

The sound of my name from his lips, the first time he'd said it without prompting from me, sent my heart into a frenzied dance. I schooled my expression, struggled to keep my jaw from dropping and my eyes from rolling in pleasure. When I spoke, I was thrilled to note I sounded dry and unaffected.

"I'm sure I'll manage."


	9. Chapter 9

Bella:

"What are you doing out here?"

I looked up to see my dad standing in the doorway of the rambling house. With a grin, I pushed my feet against the wooden floor of the porch and set the old swing into motion.

"Enjoying the night." I leaned back and let my hair trail behind me, luxuriating in the breeze against my neck. "It's so sticky here. I'd forgotten how humid Tennessee is in August."

Dad grinned and sat down in one of the old rocking chairs. The wooden rockers creaked against the aging porch, a comforting sound I remembered from childhood.

"You always loved the tree frogs. I remember chasing you all through the woods when you were five or six. When you found out how small they are, you wanted to find a bunch and take them back to Phoenix as pets."

"Why did we stop coming so much? I seem to remember being here every moment of every summer before I turned twelve."

Charlie took a few moments to answer, and I knew he was thinking about my mom. We'd lost her to a car accident two years before, when I was just about to start my freshman year of high school.

"She didn't really like it here. It was too small, too nosy for her taste. You haven't yet noticed, but everyone is always in everyone else's business. It drove your mom crazy."

I huffed out a frustrated laugh and nodded. "Everyone's related to everyone, too. Like, there's no need for a family reunion every year because they all just see each other at church or the grocery store."

Dad murmured in agreement but didn't say anything else. We soaked in the quiet of the evening, the tree frog soundtrack, and the sticky sweet air, still ripe with summer flowers.

My Granny Edna's house was probably the largest in Cedar Ridge, but it couldn't have been called the nicest. Uncle Jerry, my dad's best friend from the Army, had done what he could to keep it up, but the age of the house beat him every time. It needed money, and lots of it, to be restored to its former glory. Rather than embarrassment over my busted and broken home, I felt a sense of pride. I may not have been there for several years, but what I remembered from earlier times was a house full of love and laughter. I didn't necessarily want to move to Cedar Ridge forever, but I could certainly handle calling it home for the time being.

"If everyone's related to everyone else, why couldn't someone else take Granny Edna in? She's surely got family here."

A sad smile crossed Dad's face and he stopped the rocking chair to speak seriously for a moment. "I don't doubt this town would have taken the very best care of Granny Edna. I know a doctor and his family check in about once a week. His kids keep the fields tended and the cows fed until we can figure out what to do with them. Some of the women in town bring by casseroles all the time."

We had been eating pretty well, but it hadn't occurred to me to wonder where it had come from.

"But these people all have families of their own. They might have put her in a home or even had her move in with them, but none of them would have moved in with her here. She shouldn't have to leave this place, don't you think? Jerry always wanted her to die right here in the house where she was born. We could do that for her…for him."

I thought about the friends I'd made after only a week. The rest of the school still pretty much ignored me, but Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett had been solid. Edward…well, Edward was in a class all his own. I definitely considered him a friend, but he wasn't around as much as the others, and when he was, he was just goofing off. That didn't keep me from wanting him more than anything I'd ever wanted in my entire life.

"I'm glad we're here," I said softly.

Dad moved from his chair to the swing and put his arm around me. I leaned against his shoulder and let him squeeze me for a second.

"I'm glad, too, Kiddo. It's good for you to have some family around."


	10. Chapter 10

Bella:

Wind whipped through the SUV, touched with just a hint of autumn. I sat in the back seat of Jasper's borrowed car trying to build enthusiasm for the first away football game of the season, but I still felt disconnected from my new school. The ride was fun and promised to get even better. We still had thirty minutes of road trip ahead, and Edward was starting to get punchy.

There was enough room for him to move around on the way to the game, but we would have two more passengers on the ride back. Emmett had to ride with the rest of the players, and Rosalie was in the cheerleaders' van.

Southern rock poured through the speakers, and Jasper nodded along with the music. Alice added a high harmony whenever she knew the words, but for the most part, she just watched her boyfriend with affection. Edward, on the other hand, had claimed most of the back of the car for his dancing, which looked more like convulsions.

I adored him.

His red shirt was emblazoned with the school mascot—the most school spirit he'd show, he promised—and it rode up his stomach with every move he made.

A van filled with girls passed on the left side. They were wearing the green and yellow uniforms for another school, on their way to another away game. Edward scooted across the bench seat in front of me and waved to get their attention. Every head in the passing vehicle turned, eyes lit up in excitement and interest, and Edward drank in the attention happily.

When he saw he had a full audience, his antics grew even more animated. He started the same striptease he'd treated me to weeks before, pulling his shirt up and flexing his beautiful abdominal muscles. The girls in the other van giggled and pointed. I was pretty sure a few of them drooled. Edward threw his head back and laughed, then whipped his shirt over his head and pressed his chest against the glass.

The girl in the front passenger seat rolled her window down and gestured for him to do the same. She was beautiful, even with her hair tied back in a severe ponytail. Dark eyes flashed with amusement as she called out for his name.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he teased back, rubbing his hand down his chest.

"We all do," the girl shouted.

"You first."

She giggled and leaned back to discuss the appropriate response with all her friends. They were encouraging her to share, pushing her shoulders and laughing wildly.

"Jessica," she responded. Then she yelled her phone number between the two cars and made the international "call me" gesture.

"Don't have anything to write it down with," Edward called back with a wink. "Maybe next time!"

Jasper hit the gas and pulled away from the silliness, leaving a van full of disappointed girls in our wake.

I couldn't stop the rush of relief. Maybe I didn't have the courage to flirt back, but I wasn't sure I could watch someone else boldly returning his advances, or worse, claiming him. Three weeks into the school year and I was gone for the boy.

"Why didn't you get her number?" Jasper asked from the driver's seat.

"Yeah. You're probably not related to any of them," I added from behind him.

Edward shrugged his shirt back on and grinned. "Not related to you, either, Bella. I've been waiting a long time for you."

Shock radiated from the center of my chest to the very tips of my fingers and toes. The words were everything I wanted to hear, but when paired with the cheeky smile on his face, they couldn't be taken seriously. Pulling in a deep breath, I tapped some unknown courage and met his gaze.

"Well, here I am. Do what you will."


	11. Chapter 11

Bella:

"Do you want a drink?"

I eyed the cup Edward held out to me and shook my head regretfully. "Dad's a cop, remember?"

He smiled and handed it to me anyway. "It's not alcohol, Bella. This is just Coke, I promise."

His thoughtfulness touched me, but I brushed away the swell of affection. He was just a friend who'd remembered me when everyone else was socializing. I'd probably looked a little lost and left out on the edge of the crowd. A soda from the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen did not equal a marriage proposal.

"Thanks." I took the cup from him and sipped without looking at it. "Hey, this is Sprite. I thought you said Coke."

He looked confused for a minute and then laughed. "I feel like I've known you forever and keep forgetting you're not from around here. We call everything that fizzes Coke. Sprite, Dr. Pepper, even Fanta. You'll get used to it."

"You're so weird." I took another drink of the Sprite and smiled, mentally correcting myself to think _Coke._

"So you like it here in BFE?" He smiled at me over the edge of his red cup.

I shrugged. "I have good memories from summers here as a kid, so I didn't hate it to begin with. It's just…hard to make friends with people who've known each other since kindergarten, you know?"

We looked across the field at the kids gathered around the bonfire, and he nodded. Everyone had separated into their own little groups, leaving Edward and me on the outskirts. He could have joined any one of the cliques and fit right in, but he chose to hang with me instead. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside

"Jasper and Alice will be back soon with Emmett and Rosalie. Then you'll have your own group to hang with."

Warmth coursed through me at the thought. I knew I was lucky to have such great friends, but I still felt I was holding them back.

"You guys don't have to babysit me, you know."

Edward tossed his cup to the ground and stomped on it abruptly, his fingers clenched tightly. I looked up quickly, afraid I'd angered him, but his face was impassive.

"Is that what you think we're doing?" His voice was low and rough, a complete transformation from his usually laugh-filled tone.

I stepped back, overwhelmed by his intense expression. When he smiled, he was beautiful. He'd been beautiful every moment I'd seen him since the day we met. With the look of anger that crept over his features, he became truly breathtaking. My fingers twitched, itching to reach for him, to smooth away the irritation, but I held myself in check. Instead of giving myself away, I gave him an answer.

"I don't necessarily think that, no. I just…I don't know. My old school was just so big. I was friendly with people, but I never really spent time with them. I'm not even sure what it's like to hang out with friends, you know?"

Edward stared, his eyes still narrowed and jaw still clenched. Something on my face calmed him, and he slowly relaxed. The usual glint didn't return to his eyes, but he no longer looked angry.

"Do me a favor, Bella. When you get home tonight, I want you to look in the mirror. Really look so that you can see what we see. Can you do that?"

I nodded dumbly, wondering just what I'd find when I followed his request. Was there something about me that drew my new friends in? Did I fit their mold better than I thought?

The questions stayed with me the rest of the night. I managed to laugh and talk with everyone else after they arrived, but I pictured my face staring back at me from the bathroom mirror the whole time.

When Jasper dropped me off at my house, I ran straight for my new bedroom and shut the door. A full-length mirror was attached to the back, and I fixed my gaze on my reflection.

The first thing that struck me was my brand new Cedar Ridge Eagles T-shirt I'd bought just for the game. It was a newer version of the one Edward had been wearing all night. In my red shirt, I'd matched everyone else at the game and bonfire, had fit right in with all the students at school. It didn't matter that I wore designer jeans with it; I still looked like I belonged.

Finally.


	12. Chapter 12

Bella:

"I can't believe you have all these clothes." Alice's voice was hushed with awe as she looked over my wardrobe.

"It's really not much," I said uncomfortably.

"It's not the quantity, it's the quality," she said with a decisive nod. "I have a walk-in closet crammed with clothes, but they're all from whatever store we can find within an hour of this town. Where did you get all this stuff?"

I ran my hand over a silky, slinky black top and sighed. "I really don't know. Most of this stuff is over two years old. I've gotten a few things here and there, but…"

Alice dropped the shoes she was holding and flew to my side. "Oh, my God, I made you cry. I didn't mean to make you cry, Bella."

She flapped her arms like a wounded duck before settling them around my shoulders. The warmth, the feminine touch I'd missed for two years, set me off even further.

Rosalie pushed through the door with a plate of cookies, jabbering away. "Your Granny Edna is the sweetest—Oh. What's going on?"

She set the plate down and plopped down next to me to put her arms around me. Her posture was stiff and uncomfortable as she tried to figure out how to comfort. She wasn't exactly the most loving kind, and it touched me that she was trying.

My insides twisted violently. The floodgates were open and there was no going back. I sobbed out the story—how my mom had been the one to take care of the girl things, how we'd had pampering sessions once a month with pedicures and facials, how junior high had felt like a dream because I always felt pretty and feminine, how we used to curl up on the couch together and go through every minute of my day, how she'd held me and let me cry when my eighth grade crush completely crushed me, and how she was gone forever.

"And Dad tries so hard, he really does," I finished up, sniffling and snotting like a little kid. "But sometimes I just _miss_ her so much."

"Oh, of course you do, honey." Rose ran her hand down my hair and tweaked the ends. "It sounds like you were very close…closer than most mothers and daughters. Most of the time, I want to smack my mom, but I'd still be devastated if I lost her. I can't imagine…"

Alice had my hand in hers and was squeezing it gently. "Who do you talk to now about the girl stuff? Granny Edna?"

I huffed out a laugh and shook my head. "No way. I love her, and she wants to talk about all of it—which boys I think are cute, where I want to go to college, all that stuff. But all her advice ends with me putting on a poodle skirt and going to the sock hop. She has this mental image of Ed—of any guy I might like being the greaser while I'm all Sandra Dee. It's cute, but not at all helpful."

If either of them noticed my massive slip, my deepest, darkest confession, they didn't acknowledge it. Instead, they held me for a few more minutes and then began to put away my clothes. I stopped Alice as she lined up my handbags on the top shelf of my closet.

"It's nothing special, but you can have that one if you want it." I pointed at the small purse in her hands. "And Rose, if you like the red one, you can take it. I don't even like bags, so I'll never really use them again."

"We can't take the stuff your mom gave you, Bella." Alice set the bag down gently and turned to me with concern etched on her delicate features.

"I can, and I am. What good is a bag that sits on a shelf? I know you guys will love them so much more than I ever did, and that's doing my mom's memory much better service. Don't you think?" I thought so. What was the point of keeping a whole bunch of stuff I'd never use, just because my mom bought it all?

Alice and Rose watched me for a few more seconds to make sure I wouldn't start gushing like a fire hydrant again before taking the bags I'd promised them from the shelf.

"It's Coach," Alice whispered.

"And Dooney and Bourke." I nodded toward the bag Rose held.

I was mauled by hugs, which I pushed off playfully, and then we worked together to put my wardrobe back in order. Everything too skimpy for October was put into boxes, while sweaters and jackets were pulled from storage and placed on hangers. We were almost done when Rose spoke again.

"Seriously, Bella. Who do you talk to when you want to talk girl stuff?"

"What would I need to talk about? I know where to buy tampons, I got _the talk_ when I was ten… What else is there to know that my dad can't tell me?"

"Boys," they said in unison.

"Who do you talk to when you have a crush on someone?" Rose took my hand and led me back to the corner of the bed.

I scooted up and rested against the headboard, clutching my pillow to my stomach. The girls were eyeing me with interest, awaiting my answer like I held the secrets of the universe.

"It doesn't matter who I like," I said finally. "He doesn't like me back. I mean, he does, but he likes everyone."

"I knew it," Alice breathed.

"Shit," Rosalie said at the same time. "Not him, Bella."

"Why not?" Alice put her hands on her hips and glared at Rosalie. "He's a nice guy. She could do so much worse."

"She answered that question herself."

I watched back and forth between them like they were playing tennis. Serve; return.

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right girl. Did you ever think of that?"

Rosalie scoffed and crawled onto the bed with me. "When I moved here two years ago, Edward flirted with me like crazy. I actually thought it was going somewhere, too. I thought he really liked me. But then…nothing. His brother swooped in, asked me out, and I never looked back. It saved me, though. I made a fool of myself for the two months I thought Edward wanted me. I didn't know he was doing the same thing with other girls."

"But he said he called dibs," I whispered. Like that was anything special.

Rosalie frowned. "That is kind of weird. He did call dibs the moment you got out of your truck on the first day of school. Got in a fight with Tyler over it, actually."

I remembered the dirty T-shirt and his visit to the principal's office. My stomach turned over in excitement, but I quickly quelled it and steeled myself.

"He still flirts with everything that breathes, though."

"Yeah. None of us thought he was serious, babe. Sorry."

Alice hadn't said anything, but she looked deep in thought. When her mouth opened to speak, we both turned to let her have her say, even if we were sure we wouldn't agree with her.

"Two years ago, Edward actually had a girlfriend. I mean, you know the kind of girlfriend a fourteen-year-old has. The whole 'talk on the phone and pretend you're going to actually go on a date' kind. They went together for almost six months, and then one day, he just dumped her. Said she wasn't what she was looking for. He was fourteen! Stupid boy. But he hasn't dated anyone since. He's just flirted and made girls think there might be something there, but he's never been serious. I just wonder now…"

"He does the same thing with me, Alice." I tried not to remember the look in his eye when he'd told me I belonged. It wasn't a declaration of any kind, except maybe that we could actually be friends.

Disappointment replaced hope, and she sighed. "I know. I just think you guys would match up really well."

Somehow, even with all his silliness, I thought we might, too.


	13. Chapter 13

Edward:

I was such a girl. The pebbles weighed heavily in my hand, itching to take flight toward her bedroom window. I had three chances to get her attention. Well, there was a fourth larger stone, but I would only use it in dire need. There was a good chance it could shatter the glass, and I didn't want to risk that unless I had no other choice.

I could have waited to see her the next day at school. I could have even called her to hear her voice at that exact moment. There were a lot of things I could have done to avoid the possibility of getting shot by her father, but then again…I couldn't. I had to see her right then.

That determination made it easy to launch the first stone toward the second-floor bedroom. When it hit, a light from downstairs went on. Panicked, I ducked behind a bush with my heart racing and palms sweating. Her father would not be thrilled to find the truck-top stripper outside his daughter's window at midnight. I didn't need to see the shotgun or handcuffs to know that.

When no one burst through the front door to kill me, I decided the coast was clear. The second stone hit the glass with a quiet tap, and I was rewarded with the soft glow of a lamp. She'd heard me.

Moments later, her face appeared, relaxed from sleep but curious at the intrusion. When she saw me dancing from foot to foot like a kindergartner who needed to pee, curiosity turned to surprise.

"Come for a walk with me," I whispered, praying my words would carry.

"You're crazy," she hissed.

God, she was so smart.

"It's after midnight."

She started to shut the window, and my stomach dropped. I'd see her the next day, but it didn't matter. I wanted to spend time with her right then, with the stars overhead and none of our loud and nosy friends around. I couldn't tell her those things, but I could find other ways to beg.

"Please? It's the best time to take a walk; you'll see."

She would see, too. The night was clear and cool, but the stars were bright and the clearing by the creek would be dry and perfect for a rest. Maybe even a kiss, if I could screw up the courage to do it.

She smiled, and I knew I had her. When she closed the window, it was because I'd see her face to face within moments. Just in case she got caught on her way down the steps, I hid behind a bush to wait. After a few minutes passed and she still hadn't appeared, I started to wonder if I'd misunderstood.

The front door opened, and I reflexively ducked, just in case it was the sheriff with a gun. Instead, she appeared, wearing a rumpled hoodie and jeans. For some reason, she was more beautiful in those clothes than any of the fancy stuff she wore to school.

"What took you so long?" I whispered, still scared of her father.

Her response was in full voice and filled with amusement. "I had to get dressed and tell my dad where we're going."

Holy shit. Her dad knew I was outside. How was I still living?

"You asked for permission?"

What teenager asks permission? And what cop dad gives it? It was always better to ask forgiveness than permission. I'd learned that when I was five. A pout and a bat of the eyelashes and my mom always gave in.

I'd forgotten Bella was a good girl—the best girl. Of course she'd tell her dad, because she'd never want him to worry about her. And of course he'd give permission, because she'd never given him reason not to trust her. God, I hoped I didn't mess that up for her.

"We have two hours to hang out, and then I'll go back to bed like a good little girl."

Images of her in bed being a good little girl for me nearly knocked me over, and I giggled like a twelve-year-old boy. What the hell could this girl possibly see in me? The harder I tried to respect her, the harder it got. I got. Jesus. I needed to stop.

To ground myself, I took her soft, little hand in mind and took off across the field toward the swimming hole. Probably best not to kiss her. In my current state, there was no way I'd be able to settle for just her lips.


	14. Chapter 14

Bella:

I woke to a light tapping noise at my window, and a thrill of fear coursed through me. I stared at the ceiling for a moment, waiting to hear the sound again, but all I could hear was the television downstairs. Dad had some action movie playing entirely too loud.

The clock told me it was just after midnight, so I hadn't been asleep long. Sleep pulled at my eyelids as the last of the adrenaline ebbed, and I started to succumb once more. Just as I drifted back to sleep, I heard the noise again.

I walked blearily to the window and lifted the sash, too tired to get scared again. Edward was standing about twenty feet from the house, his arm raised and ready to toss another pebble.

"What are you doing?" I didn't bother to keep my voice low. Even if I was worried about being caught, I knew my dad's movie was too loud for him to hear me anyway.

"Come for a walk with me," Edward whispered back.

He glanced around furtively, as if expecting to be tackled and arrest at any moment.

"You're crazy. It's after midnight." I started to shut the window, but he stopped me.

"Please? This is the best time for a walk; you'll see."

He looked so sincere that I had to agree. Who could have said no to that face, anyway?

"Just a sec," I muttered.

I dragged some jeans over my sleep shorts and grabbed a sweatshirt. I should have worried what I looked like, since I was heading out to hang with the hottest guy in school, but I still hadn't shaken away the sleep. The late October air was chilly enough that my hoodie would cover anything that shouldn't be seen by the opposite sex, even if I kind of wanted that opposite sex to see everything…maybe…at some point.

Without bothering to stay quiet, I bounced down the steps. Dad looked up from his television with a quizzical expression.

"Edward wants me to go for a walk. Is that okay?"

Dad looked torn for a moment before nodding. "Just be back before two, please. And, you know… Be smart."

I rolled my eyes. "Please. Even if I was stupid, he doesn't like me that way. I'll be back before two. Scout's honor."

Edward was waiting behind a bush by the front porch when I emerged.

"What took so long?" he whispered.

"Uh, I had to get dressed and tell my dad where I'm going. You don't have to whisper."

His eyes widened comically and he whipped his head around, like he was looking for my dad to burst through the door and arrest him.

"You asked for permission? What's wrong with you?"

I laughed and set off toward the field, and he trailed behind me. "Of course I asked permission."

"Where's the fun in that? Now there's no danger of being caught." He'd stopped whispering and spoke in his normal voice.

"I'm just starting to have fun with friends for the first time in my life," I informed him. "I'm not going to mess that up by spending my junior year grounded. We have two hours to hang out, and then I'll go back to bed like a good little girl."

He giggled—freaking _giggled_—and took my hand. I told myself it meant nothing, but the warmth of his palm against mine was just too much. I swooned. He was holding my hand, and the moon was full overhead, and a mist filled the spaces between lush green hills, and the smell of colored leaves filled my senses, and it was the most magical moment ever.

"Where are we going?" My voice was little more than a whisper, all silly and sweet and under his spell.

"Did you know my house is on the other side of those woods?" he asked, pointing to a tree break ahead.

I shook my head, biting down on the excitement that threatened to escape my lips. He was so close all the time, and I didn't even know it. Across the field, past the barn, into the woods, and…he was there.

"There's a creek that separates the properties. I go swimming there all the time in the summer. I wanted to come get you a few times after you moved her, but…" He shrugged and let the statement die.

"We're not going swimming tonight, are we?" I shivered in the brisk fall air.

If he thought I was going to dip even my smallest toe into a mountain creek, he was crazier than I thought.

He laughed and pulled me closer, putting his arm around my shoulder to still my trembling. That only made it worse.

"Nah, no swimming. I won't even splash you. But I thought we might do a little fishing, if you want."

I laughed. "You've got the wrong Swan if you want to go fishing. That's my dad's thing. But I'll give it a shot. Will you make me bait my own hook?"

He waggled his eyebrows at me and shook his head. "Squeamish? Don't want to touch a little, slimy worm?"

I nudged him with my hip, and he had to let go of me for a moment to catch his balance. His low laugh at my show of strength sent flutters through my belly and chest. Why did he have to be so perfect?

"I don't care to touch a worm. I just don't like the idea of killing it."

Edward's laughter faded, and he squeezed my hand gently. "If you don't wanna kill it, I'll take care of it for you."

Moonlight. Magic. Murdering worms. What more could a girl ask for?


	15. Chapter 15

Edward:

"Is it even fishing season?" Bella's nose wrinkled as worm guts squirted everywhere.

"What do you mean?"

I cast the line and heard the satisfying splash as it landed somewhere in the dark.

"Well, aren't there certain dates you can go fishing? You know, like deer season, duck season, whatever."

"Um, I don't know. I thought we could fish whenever we wanted. You mean we might be doing something illegal right now?"

Bella stared off in the direction of my fishing hook, wherever it had landed, and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's not illegal if we don't catch anything. Or maybe we just have to throw it back if we do."

Her concern was just too cute. I had to push her just a little more—watch her bite her lip and wring her small hands together.

"Isn't it exciting to know we might be doing something bad?" I waggled my eyebrows at her. "Don't you get a rush from it?"

She snorted and shook her head vehemently. "No, I really don't. I get a sick feeling in my stomach that my own father might throw me in jail."

I had to laugh. Damn, but she was adorable. "Your dad seems pretty cool. I don't think he'd throw you in jail. He didn't even throw me in jail, and he had every right to."

Her cheeks reddened and she ducked her head, probably remembering my ridiculous attempt at impressing her. With my baby blue boxers. I was lucky she still looked at me.

"Sorry for that, by the way." It was the best I could do for an apology without utterly destroying my manhood.

She waved the words away with a smile and met my gaze again. "I wouldn't expect my father to be lenient more than once. Now, are you sure we can catch fish here?"

"No."

Bella reached for the pole in my hand and started the drag the line back in without using the reel. I found it amazing she didn't know how to properly work a fishing rod.

"Wait," I said with a laugh. "I really do mean I'm not sure we can catch fish here. I don't know if it's legal or not, but I'd imagine we've already scared away any fish as loud as we're being. Besides that, I've never even seen a fish in this creek."

Her movements stilled, and she turned big, brown, incredulous eyes on me. "No fish?"

"I'd be very surprised if we caught one. So surprised, I'd probably piss myself."

She clamped her lips into a thin line and turned away, letting me regain control of my fishing rod. After a moment of silence, during which I'd figured she was trying not to laugh, she spoke again.

"Are you telling me we just murdered that worm for nothing?"

Well, I'll be damned. One minute she was afraid we'd catch something and the next she was mad that we wouldn't.

"Good God, you sure are hard to please."

And it only made me love her more.


	16. Chapter 16

Bella:

The sound of rushing water filled the air, adding soft mood music to an already perfect night. Edward had led me further into the woods where the deeper swimming hole was located. I'd been shocked to see a blanket, a basket of food, and two fishing poles already laid out and waiting for us. If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought I was on a date with him.

Fortunately, he hadn't been serious for one second since we'd sat down. With all the romance coloring every aspect of the evening, I was in danger of losing even more of my heart, but he'd taken everything in stride. Our conversation had been full of teasing and laughter, with none of the burning gazes and soft words that had been my undoing in the past.

"I have to get going soon." My voice was barely louder than the babbling creek, but he heard it.

He lay back on the blanket and turned his head in my direction, inviting me to join him with his eyes. I couldn't resist.

The stars were visible through the leaves overhead, bright and twinkling without city lights to dull them. It was yet another thing I had learned to love about my new mountain town.

"Have you thought any more about what I said to you a few weeks ago?"

His words from the night of the bonfire ran through my head and I smiled. Even the biggest flirt in four counties had taken some time that night to make me feel like I belonged.

"You were telling me that I fit," I whispered. "I really needed to hear that."

Edward rolled onto his side with a groan. "Is that what you thought I said? Christ, Bella. If that's all you got out of it…"

I was stunned into silence. His easygoing silliness from earlier in the night had completely disappeared. In its place was the burning, seeking expression I'd seen only a few times before.

"Um… Then what did you mean? It made me happy, what you said. To believe that I was finally finding a place to fit in. You didn't actually mean that?"

He rolled onto his back and flopped his arms down to his sides. "Impossible. It is impossible that you don't see what we see, Bella. We don't like you because you fit in. We like you because you do anything but. Don't you see?"

His words were tearing my heart in two. Everything I'd come to believe since that night at the bonfire, every second of every day in school where I returned more and more smiles directed my way… He was saying that none of it was true.

"You're so pretty, Bella, and you don't even see it. You're smart and kind and generous. You have dreams far beyond this dumb little town. Did you know four people from last year's graduating class went to college? Ten percent sounds like a lot when there are over a thousand in the class. Ten percent here means four. Thirty-six people graduated from Cedar Ridge High last year and they're all workin' at Wal-Mart or gettin' married and havin' kids."

The longer he talked, the more his adorable accent came through. Even his biting words were beautiful with his deep southern drawl.

"You remind us all there's more out there—a huge world that we can join after we graduate. I don't know about the rest of them for sure, but I hope you're the one leading the charge when we graduate next year and get out of this town."

Their leader… They thought I was their leader. This gorgeous boy, garrulous Emmett, perky Alice, relaxed Jasper, stunning Rosalie… They all looked to me.

"Why?" I whispered. "I'm nothing special."

"I just told you that you are. As irritating as it is that you don't see, your modesty makes you even more beautiful. I'm glad you don't see, actually. You'd be downright dangerous."

"You're downright nuts," I retorted, grinning like a fool.

He hadn't declared himself, but it sure felt like he had. His words sunk down deep inside, filling all the little cracks and crevices inside my soul. No matter where I went or what I did for the rest of my life, I would remember his words, his faith in me.

"You're really special, Bella. You're special to me."

There. That was a declaration. It had to have been. My heart exploded in my chest, but I didn't dare look at him. I couldn't bear the thought of a cheeky grin, a flirty wink, as he said the words.


	17. Chapter 17

Bella:

I was still floating when I made it to school the next Monday. Everyone was getting excited about Halloween, but all I could think about was a pretty boy calling me special under the stars.

He met me at the door and walked to my locker with me, goofing off and making jokes the whole way. I didn't expect him to act differently. I knew everything was different even if he still got called to the principal's office for hanging from the ceiling in first period.

When lunch rolled around, we all sat together at the little table like we always did, but in defined pairs. No one on the outside of the group would have noticed the shift, but we did. Rosalie looked over the top of Edward's head with her eyebrows raised, and all I could do was shrug. Her eyes told me to be careful; my heart told her to shut the hell up.

I thought the whole lunch period might pass without anyone pointing out the difference, but I thought too soon. Emmett, in all his infinite wisdom, opened his big mouth and threw the question out there.

"So what's going on here, anyway? Something we should know about?"

Emmett pointed between the Edward and me, his eyebrows raised, a smirk on his face. I lowered my chin and stared into my brown-bag lunch, waiting for the denial that would break me.

"She's got a way about her," Edward said slowly. "I don't know what it is…"

Jasper snorted. "Seriously? You pull out Billy Joel for this one?"

"She's got a smile that heals me."

Heat raced up my chest and into my cheeks as his voice strengthened and smoothed into song.

"Give her something new, at least," Alice interjected. "She deserves that much."

Edward was silent for a moment, mentally turning the radio dial in his head. He tapped the table with his knuckles and then burst from his seat.

"If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go." Edward's voice was strong and clear as he clutched at his chest dramatically.

His next words were drowned by boos from across the cafeteria, and he had to duck the napkins and pizza crusts flung in his direction. With a laugh, he said back down and pretended to zip his lips.

"Break it off before it gets started," Rosalie advised.

"Any guy who thinks that's a fitting serenade doesn't deserve you." Jasper agreed wholeheartedly with his sister.

Edward giggled again and buried his face in my shoulder. "Don't listen to them. They can't appreciate true art."

He continued to hum the song without words, dancing back and forth in his seat. His arm brushed mine several times, sending jolts of electricity through me, but I kept a straight face.

I heard Rosalie and Jasper's words, but I couldn't get Edward's out of my head. He'd clearly been teasing, but he'd sung it out loud for the whole room to hear.

_Boyfriend._

Is that what he was?


	18. Chapter 18

Edward:

"Can you take this pan of Holy Smoke over to Granny Edna?"

Mom plopped the gooey dessert into my hands before I could object, and I set it right back down on the table.

"No way."

Her eyes widened in shock, and she looked back and forth between the food and me. I'd never outright refused to do anything she asked of me, so I could understand where her confusion came from.

"Edward," she started slowly, "please take this over to Granny Edna…now."

I turned and ran from the kitchen, forgetting to take the slice of chocolate cake I'd gone downstairs for. I never forgot my cake, either. It was a night of firsts.

"Edward Anthony, you get your hind end back in here and take this food to Edna and the Swans." Her voice followed me up the stairs, followed by stomping footsteps.

"I can't, Mom. I just can't."

She flung my bedroom door open without knocking and found me facedown on the bed. "What on earth is wrong with you? I didn't realize I had a daughter."

Oh, for the love of God. Well, she did have a point. I was being pretty dramatic, but the thought of facing Sheriff Swan in his own home… Plus, there was the possibility that my arrival would prompt Granny Edna to spill her guts about my crush on Bella. I rocked my forehead back and forth over my pillow, letting my mom know in no uncertain terms that I would _not_ be taking anything across the field.

"What's going on, Edward? Don't you want an excuse to see Bella?"

"No," I mumbled, my voice muffled by the mattress. "I mean, yes. I always want to see Bella."

"I can't understand you. Sit up and talk to me."

With a sigh, I rolled over and flopped onto my back. "I always want to see Bella, but I can't see her dad. Sheriff Swan doesn't like me much. I'm actually surprised I'm still alive."

Mom sat down next to me and brushed my hair from my eyes. "You're a good kid. Why would he want to kill you? There are worse boys who could have eyes on his little girl."

"None-of-them-stripped-in-front-of-her," I muttered, slurring the words together.

"I'm sorry. It sounded like you said you stripped in front of her? You took your clothes off around Bella Swan?"

"Not all of them."

The gentle hand on my forehead turned to steel as it smacked the back of my head.

"And I'm guessing you got caught? I can't imagine Bella confessing that to her father without blushing like crazy."

"Yeah, I got caught. Had to sit in the back of the squad car and listen to him lecture."

She threw her head back and laughed. She was not my mother. My mother would never laugh at my misfortune.

"Oh, Edward. You're lucky you didn't get locked up. I can't believe we're just now hearing this. Charlie should have called us right away. Maybe he doesn't hate you as much as you think."

"I don't want to find out for sure."

"Well, I think punishment is in order, arrest record or not."

I finally sat up and gasped. "You don't think I've been punished enough? I was in the back of the sheriff's car! It smelled like puke—probably from Charlie dragging Hubie Parker home from the bar."

She laughed again, the wretched woman. "Well, I can see you've suffered, but I still think it's up to me to play Mom. Your punishment is to take that over to Granny Edna. You don't have to stop and say hi. You can even use your key and put it in the fridge without anyone knowing. I'll cross my fingers for you that Charlie's not standing right there in the kitchen waiting for you."

I grumbled a few choice words while grabbing my boots from under the bed. "If you call him to tell him I'm coming, I'll disown you."

"Really, Edward. Such drama. When you come back, I hope you're my son again."


	19. Chapter 19

Bella:

"You ready to eat, Granny Edna?"

The sweetest lady in the world looked up from her book and smiled. "Casserole again?"

"You know it. I picked a good one this time, I promise."

I called Dad to the table and we dug in to the vegetarian lasagna with gusto. Well, Granny Edna and I did. Dad frowned mightily and asked where the food was.

"It doesn't have to have meat to be food, Dad. If you aren't full when we finish, I'll drive to Shop Stop and get a huge steak for you."

His eyes lit up, and he dug around in his food for a few minutes, secure in the knowledge that protein was on the way. We ate in silence for several minutes, punctuated on occasion by my dad's murmurs of pleasure. Seemed he enjoyed piles of vegetables and cheese more than he thought he would.

"Tell us about your young man, Bella." Granny Edna pushed her plate away with a satisfied smile and set her shrewd gaze on me.

How she always knew I was keeping secrets, I didn't know. Dad looked up with interest, too, probably wondering how things had progressed since Edward's truck-top dance at the Gas 'n Go.

"I don't know." I could only shrug.

Who really knew what went on in that boy's head?

"He's a nice boy," Granny Edna said.

Dad looked like he wanted to argue that, but he held his tongue.

"He is nice, Dad." I sent a glare over my plate in my father's general direction. "It's just…he's nice to everyone. I really like him—so much more than he likes me. He…he said I'm special, but I don't know. It's no big deal, I guess."

"He and his brother take care of the cows for me." Granny Edna kept talking as though I hadn't just spilled my guts.

I'd have wondered about senility, but there was a gleam in her eye that told me she knew exactly what was going on. I leaned forward, waiting for whatever came next.

"After they tended to the cows, Emmett always went home, but Edward—that sweet boy—would come inside and sit with me for a while. I thought he just wanted the cookies I baked, until I realized he—"

A loud crash from the kitchen cut off whatever she was about to say, and we all jumped up from the table in alarm. Even Granny Edna moved more quickly than I thought possible.

Dad reached for his gun before remembering he'd removed his holster and smacked the table in frustration. He ran toward the front door to retrieve his weapon while Granny Edna and I scurried toward the hallway.

"Sorry…sorry. It's just me."

At the sound of the voice, my bones turned to melted butter, and then my face flamed hotter than the sun. I didn't even have time to wonder why the hell he was making noise in the kitchen. All I could think was that he might have heard me proclaim my…like for him.

My serious, serious like.


	20. Chapter 20

Edward:

I slipped through the side door of Granny Edna's house, praying I could get back out without catching Charlie Swan's notice. Though the door was unlocked, I still didn't put it past him to arrest me for breaking and entering. My copy of the key probably wouldn't have been convincing evidence otherwise.

Voices carried from the dining room, along with the screech of silverware on plates. I had to grin as Bella teased her father about the lack of meat in his food but then froze when Granny Edna asked her about me.

Well, I sure as hell hoped she meant me.

I stood in the kitchen, Holy Smoke in one hand and the refrigerator door handle in the other, and shamelessly eavesdropped. My heart was racing, my brain swimming, and both froze and fell to the floor in pieces at her response.

"I don't know."

She didn't know? What didn't she know? If I liked her? If _she_ liked _me?_ Oh, God, I hoped she liked me.

When it didn't seem like she'd say anything else, I slipped the dessert in the fridge and turned to go. I couldn't skulk around all night praying for a morsel. It was creepy. Well, it was probably creepy. I wasn't too sure. Charlie probably would have thought it was creepy, though.

I reached for the door handle, ready to slip back out and into the night, when Bella spoke again.

"I really like him—so much more than he likes me."

I did a fistpump. Okay, I did more than that. I danced around that kitchen like a man possessed, high-fiving invisible people left and right. She liked me! She liked me a _lot._ It was the absolute greatest day of my life, and my mother was my favorite person in the world for forcing me to bring dessert to Granny Edna's so that I could overhear the best news of my life.

I was a rock star. I was a king. I was a fucking _ninja_.

Shit. I was a ninja who kicked over a whole stack of pots and pans. Definitely not a ninja. But rock star and king would still do.

As I bent to pick everything back up, it occurred to me all talk from the dining room had ceased. Chairs scraped, feet shuffled, and Charlie Swan cocked his gun.

"Sorry…sorry. It's just me."

_Please, Bella, don't let your dad shoot me. This is the best day of my life, and I'm not ready for it to end!_

I peeked around the doorframe and saw Charlie holding his gun. It was my worst nightmare right in the middle of my favorite dream.

"Don't shoot, for God's sake! I was just dropping in to give Granny Edna a dessert that mom made. I'll knock next time; I swear!"

Charlie rolled his eyes but mercifully tucked his gun away. I was aware he could pull it back out at any time. The only thing that stopped me from running all the way home was the beautiful blush on Bella's face. She probably wondered just how much I'd heard. More than saving my own life, I wanted to let her know the feeling was mutual, but I couldn't do it with an audience. Not when one of those audience members had a gun and more than one reason to shoot me.


	21. Chapter 21

Bella:

"Boy, you almost got yourself shot—again." Dad barreled back into the dining room with his pistol aimed at the floor.

Edward poked his head out of the kitchen but quickly retreated when he saw my dad ready to take aim.

"Don't shoot, for God's sake! I was just dropping in to give Granny Edna a dessert that mom made. I'll knock next time; I swear!"

"Oh, your mother is such a dear. Holy Smoke is my favorite." Granny Edna shook off the fear and took her seat at the table again.

Dad and I still trembled like the last, lonely leaves on the trees outside, but Granny Edna smiled and patted the empty place next to hers. Edward peered around the doorframe to make sure my dad wasn't about to shoot. When he judged the situation safe, he complied with Granny Edna's wishes and approached the table with a massive dish of an incredible-looking dessert.

"Have you met Esme and Carlisle yet, Bella?"

She didn't wait for my response before standing and shuffling into the kitchen. I could still see her as she searched out bowls and spoons for the chocolaty goodness.

"Um, no. I…" I trailed off, fascinated by the blush the crept up Edward's cheeks.

I was about to say I'd never been invited, but Edward's embarrassment stopped me. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, but it did hurt my feelings a little that he'd never introduced me. Our friends talked all the time about how nice they were, so he wasn't keeping them secret from everyone.

We both tried to hide red faces through the rest of dessert. Dad and Granny Edna seemed to take pity on us and changed the subject to the weather, of all things.

When the plates were cleared and in the dishwasher, I walked Edward to the door. He grabbed my hand and pulled me outside with him.

"Thanks for bringing dessert over," I said, desperate to start some kind of conversation. "You distracted my dad from the fact there was no meat in his lasagna. Saved me a trip to the grocery store."

"What?" Edward looked distracted and flustered. "Oh…yeah. Of course."

Silence descended, and I wondered why he'd dragged me to the front porch if we were just going to shuffle around awkwardly.

"Look, I heard what you said." He threw the words out like they burned him.

I wished the decrepit boards of the front porch would give way right then and let me disappear. I knew he'd been there. I just _knew_ it.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and gave me a half-smile. I'd never seen him look so nervous. If I hadn't been so mortified, it would have been really cute.

"You really think you like me more than I like you?"

My breath rushed out of me in a whoosh, like I'd been kicked in the stomach. For just a moment, the world fell away, and I stood alone on the front porch. No sound, no trees, no stars, no Edward. As suddenly as it all disappeared, it came rushing back with a snap, and all I could see was his serious, petrified face.

"Um, yeah." I had no choice but to tell him the truth.

The weight of my feelings for him filled me completely, leaving no room for anything else. If he liked me more than that, he'd have burst. That's how I knew my feelings were stronger.

"Impossible," he said, a relieved grin crossing his face. "There is no way."

I didn't want to argue with him, mostly because that would show my hand, let him know just how crazy-obsessed I was, so I just shook my head slowly.

"Yeah, it is," he insisted. "Look, there's a lot I should tell you, but I will soon. I promise. I just have to…you know…get brave or something. But until then, you should know I'm kind of crazy about you."

Before I could say another word, he grabbed my hand, pulled me close, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. His lips were soft and sweet and raging hot, all at the same time. Shock radiated from that point of contact all the way down to my toes, leaving me speechless until he was out of sight across the field.


	22. Chapter 22

Edward:

Charlie Swan did not put his gun away while we ate dessert. I was the only one who noticed, but I think he wanted it that way. I watched him almost more than I watched his daughter, which made things a bit awkward. I didn't want to mess up and look at Bella the wrong way, though. It was safer, really, even if he wasn't nearly as pretty as she was.

When we were finished, I ran to the kitchen with everyone's plates, mostly to escape, but also to look good in front of the elders. A little ass-kissing never hurt anyone. Certainly never got them shot.

As I dragged Bella outside with me, I wondered if I'd ever forget that Charlie carried a gun. My guess was no. After I married Bella and we had our first kid, he'd know I'd defiled his daughter. How would I look him in the eye—even as her husband?

"Thanks for bringing dessert over," Bella said softly.

"Huh?"

Right. Not married yet. Not even close to married yet. I still had to tell the girl I liked her.

"Oh…yeah. Of course."

I really needed to rein it in and focus on the matter at hand. Like confessing to my dream girl that I'd been dreaming about her. How does one go about that?

The good news was that she liked me, too. I'd heard her say it. Only, she had some crazy idea that she was the only one feeling these things. I couldn't have that.

"You really think you like me more than I like you?"

Well, shit. Rock star and king titles both revoked with that one. Why couldn't I be smooth like Jasper? Or aggressive like Emmett? Instead of executing a perfect dive into a relationship with the girl, I belly-flopped.

When her face turned bright red, I knew I'd just embarrassed the crap out of her. Before I could backpedal, she actually answered.

"Um, yeah."

Oh, silly, perfect, beautiful girl. There wasn't a chance she could feel more than I did. I'd been living with it for so long. The idea was laughable…ludicrous…

"Impossible. There's no way."

She couldn't understand if I didn't tell her, but that was something for another time, another day. When my balls were twice the size or something. I really needed to get on that, too.

"But until then," I promised, trying to force thoughts of my testicles—and other body parts of that region—out of my mind, "you should know I'm kind of crazy about you."

Her lips were curled up into a radiant smile, and I wanted to kiss that happiness. I wanted to give her my happiness, too. Since my balls were still the same size, I chickened out.

I did pull her closer—as close as I dared—and pressed my lips to her forehead. It wasn't nearly enough, and yet it was perfect. It was perfect because she was perfect.

Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch when I crashed through the front door, and they looked away from the television with knowing smiles.

"Sorry I forced you into going over there," Mom said.

Dad snickered loudly, the traitor.

They both knew—could probably see it all over my face. I didn't care.

Bella Swan liked me.

Rock star.

King.

Oh, what the hell.

_Ninja._


	23. Chapter 23

Bella:

Cedar Ridge High's fight song tripped weakly through the air, pepping approximately zero people for the game. The cheerleaders tried their hardest to get people excited, but it was a jaded crowd. The only thing that could get anyone's attention, aside from a touchdown on the field, was Edward Cullen.

The moment we arrived at the game, Alice and I laid out blankets on the highest row of bleachers so we could stay cozy in the near-winter temperatures. Jasper took off for the concession stand to get some snacks, and Edward disappeared completely. He reappeared moments later with the cheerleaders, wearing his version of the uniform.

He caught my eye and winked, and I buried myself under quilts before the rest of the roaring crowd could turn and find me in the stands. I peeked through to watch, however. Who could keep eyes off him?

In typical Edward fashion, he hyped up the crowd with his antics, dancing along with the routines the cheerleaders had been working on all season. When he didn't know the moves, he just shook his ass and waved his arms. His skirt fell below his knees, but every turn and jump exposed red boxer briefs for the world to see. Girls drooled. Guys howled with laughter. Everyone loved him.

When the performance was over and the people in the stands sufficiently revved up, he pointed at me one last time and put his hand over his heart.

"Oh, my God. That's so cute," Alice whispered.

I threw off the quilts and accepted his gesture with grace and the biggest smile I'd ever worn.

When he returned to us, he was back in his jeans and hooded sweatshirt, shivering from the cold air.

"I don't know how they wear those skirts in this weather. I can't feel my ass." He scooted over and nuzzled me playfully, begging for a bit of room under my blankets.

Of course, I gave it. The less room I gave, though, the closer he had to sit. I was pretty sure I was a genius.

I couldn't stop looking at his reddened cheeks and bright eyes. On occasion, those eyes looked back at me, and he'd smile and squeeze my hand. He'd said he had things to tell me, things that would clear everything up, but at that moment, I didn't need his words. He was showing me everything with his actions.

We huddled under the blankets until halftime, standing only when Emmett scored a touchdown for the Eagles. The crowd began to thin as people took a break from the cold concrete bleachers. I decided it was probably a good idea to move around some so I wouldn't freeze in one position before the end of the game.

Edward led me down the steps and headed off to the concession stand to get some hot chocolate while I moved toward the restrooms. I watched only long enough to see him get accosted by two cheerleaders from the opposing team. I didn't want to see if he'd flirt back, but I figured he probably would. It was in his nature.

I was just about to flush the toilet when I heard voices mention his name. It was a classic scene—something I thought only happened in movies—and I had to stop and listen.

"Gah, Edward Cullen!" one girl exclaimed. "That's all I can say."

"Yeah, too bad he has a girlfriend."

I was incandescent with happiness. He'd called me his girlfriend. He'd told those pretty, perky girls, who were in no way related to him, that _I_ was his girlfriend. I felt like dancing along with the cheerleaders next time they did their routines. I felt like climbing to the press box, stealing the microphone, and letting out a squeal that would deafen anyone within a mile radius. I felt like doing something truly crazy—something Edward-Cullen crazy.

"I didn't know he did the boyfriend thing."

"Apparently he does. He just told me he's been in love with this girl for almost two years."

My racing heart stopped still and leapt from my chest. Kind of crazy about me, my ass. Whoever the girlfriend of two years was, it wasn't me.

I'd only known him for four months.


	24. Chapter 24

Edward:

Cuddling with Bella under a blanket eclipsed every other thing that had ever gone before in my short, ridiculous life, except maybe the moment I kissed her forehead. No, no. When I kissed her _lips_, that would overtake the cuddling. But at that moment, in the stands, freezing my ass off on the cold, concrete bleachers, I'd never been happier. Ever.

There was probably a process—some steps I was supposed to follow. I hadn't had a girlfriend in two years, so I was a little rusty. Chances were very good that I'd gone about everything backward. Who was I kidding? I'd totally gone about everything backward. I fell in love with Bella before I even met her. Didn't get more backward than that.

In keeping with my stellar planning skills, I'd then announced to the whole school through a Justin Bieber song that I was her boyfriend. Well, I guess I'd announced that I wanted to be. I did all of that before I even told the girl I liked her. Backward. So very freaking backward.

With this track record, it shouldn't have surprised anyone that I jumped the gun again. Perhaps I should have asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend before I started telling people she held that distinction. Instead, I assumed.

That assumption made me deliriously happy, too. Happy enough to drag out a man-sized cheerleading uniform and play the fool in front of the entire town just to see her smile. Never mind the fact that I always cheered for the football and basketball games. Someone had to get the crowd excited, right? But there was something different knowing that she was up in the stands, laughing her ass off at me, blushing when I met her amused gaze, and holding her head up proudly when I called her out in front of everyone.

"I can't feel my nose." Bella rubbed at her face with a rueful grin.

I resisted the urge to pull her close and warm her up with my chest, thinking it might be just a bit too soon.

"Want some hot chocolate?" It was the best I could come up with. Any other ideas involved the bed of my truck and a lot less clothing.

She held my hand as we descended the steps and left me at the concession stand to run to the bathroom. I watched her go in amazement, still unable to believe that she could be mine.

"Edward Cullen, right?"

A breathy voice dragged me out of my reverie, and I turned to find two girls in the opposing team's cheerleading uniforms. Girlfriend or not, I was still a flirt. I winked and smiled, even though I felt a little guilty after.

"That's me. Sorry we're kicking your ass out there, ladies. Enjoy the rest of the game."

I started to walk away with the hot drinks, but the other girl stopped me.

"You had some nice moves out there. I could teach you a few more, if you wanted." She extended a small piece of paper that most likely had her phone number on it.

"That's really nice of you, but I'm not planning to go pro. And if you just wanted to show me how you do the splits, it would be wasted on me. I've got a girlfriend."

The pretty blonde pouted for a moment before tucking the phone number into her cheerleading top with a shrug. "Lucky girl."

"Lucky me," I corrected. "I've been in love with her for two years. There's no one else—not even two beautiful girls from Radnor County. It was nice to meet you both, but I've got to find her before her hot chocolate freezes. Good luck with the rest of the game."

They didn't seem fazed by my rejection. With matching smirks, they headed toward the bathrooms, giggling all the way.

"Whipped." Jasper surprised me so much I almost dropped our drinks. "You are so gone for that girl. I didn't think I'd ever see the day. What did you mean by two years, though?"

My cheeks heated, and I glanced around to see if Bella was nearby. "It's nothing. I need to talk to her first, you know?"

"Suit yourself, man. I will be telling Alice, though."

"Whipped," I retorted.

When Bella exited the bathroom, she didn't look happy to see me at all.

"Girlfriend?" She spat the word like it disgusted her.

Oh, God. I couldn't be her boyfriend if she didn't want to be my girlfriend. I really shouldn't have gone about this backward.


	25. Chapter 25

He was waiting with hot chocolate and a smile I couldn't return.

"Girlfriend?"

The smile faded. "Is that okay? I mean…I know I should have talked to you first, but—"

"Okay?" My voice was low and trembling. "Okay?"

Well, the second time I said it was more like a shriek.

"You think it's _okay_ to have a girlfriend for two years and then lead me on? Make me feel _special._ Like you're kind of crazy about me? You want to know if this is all okay?"

Edward dropped the cups of hot chocolate and reached for me. I barely registered the steaming liquid as it splashed over my shoes and up my legs. My soul was frozen.

"No, Bella—"

I stopped him. "I don't know why I thought you were serious. You're never serious. Everyone warned me that you'd flirt like mad but that it didn't mean anything. God, I'm so stupid. Stupid, plain, silly Bella. I fell for you—for your tricks. Let you hold me and tease me and even kiss me…on the forehead, I mean, but it felt like so much more."

I was babbling, but I couldn't stop.

"You're in love with her. I heard them say it. How could you be in love with someone and do this to me? Does she know about me?"

"Yes." He shouted the word in desperation.

"So I'm the only one who didn't know. The only person not in on the little game. Jesus."

Rosalie's words came back to haunt me. I should have listened to her—should have really paid attention to what she'd said. Whatever he'd done to her, he'd just done to me. How many girls had there been in between us?

_I made a fool of myself for the two months I thought Edward wanted me. I didn't know he was doing the same thing with other girls._

That's what Rosalie had said. I could say the very same thing.

"Rosalie said you'd do this," I muttered. "She said you did the same thing to her, and I just didn't listen."

Edward's face twisted in confusion. "Rosalie? You mean when she first moved—"

I didn't let him finish. "You messed with her, too. Made her think she was special when there were other girls the whole time. Or just one girl?"

He nodded miserably, his mouth open to interrupt, but I kept going.

"The same girl, huh?"

His head bobbed again.

"So that's what you needed to tell me. Huh."

I didn't wait around for his rebuttal. Everything had been staring me in the face the whole time, and I'd chosen to look past it, to ignore it. From the very first day of school, people had warned me that he was never serious.

I should have listened.


	26. Chapter 26

Edward:

Shiiiiiiiit. And then shit again. How could I have been so stupid? I was already married to Bella in my head, and she didn't even want to be my girlfriend. There were a lot of steps between that one and where I wanted to be.

I could still ask her. I could still make it right.

But first the apology.

"Is that okay? I mean…I know I should have talked to you first, but—"

"Okay? _Okay?"_

My guess was that it wasn't okay. I didn't even know what to say. Everything I'd dreamed for two years, everything I'd hoped for, it was all slipping away. Bella looked ready to fall to pieces, and I didn't have any idea what to say to make it all better.

"You think it's _okay_ to have a girlfriend for two years and then lead me on? Make me feel _special._ Like you're kind of crazy about me? You want to know if this is all okay?"

Wait. _What?_

She thought I had another girlfriend? How could she think I'd ever look at anyone else when she was within arm's reach?

Right. I'd never told her.

"No, Bella—"

She was still talking, spouting words that made no sense to me. Except the part where she said "kiss." I wanted to do that again so badly. I contemplated the chances of surviving if I were to grab her and kiss her words right out of her mouth. She was radiant in her anger, even as it was directed toward me.

"How could you be in love with someone and do this to me? Does she know about me?"

Did she know about Bella? She _was_ Bella!

"Yes!"

Everything was going to hell quickly, but the one thing I was able to grasp was that Bella wasn't mad that I'd called her my girlfriend. This tiny piece of sunshine stuck with me as she spewed her words of misdirected madness. If she wasn't mad about being called my girlfriend, was there a chance that maybe someday she'd be okay with it?

Hope. Hope filled me and made me dumb. It made me an idiot. Instead of using my words to make things better, I could only nod along as she ripped me to shreds.

And when she walked away, the hope went with her.


	27. Chapter 27

Edward:

"Where are you going? It's almost midnight."

Mom's reprimand didn't even slow me down. I was out the door and halfway across through the woods to Bella's before my mother could even get off the couch to chase me. I stopped at the creek to find some small pebbles since the ones in Bella's driveway would shatter the glass. Asking for forgiveness would be hard enough without also apologizing for property damage.

I managed to get two launched before Charlie Swan opened the door, wearing his Dad Face. Still, he didn't have his gun, and he didn't look like he was itching to grab it, either.

"Get in here and leave her alone."

Those were the nicest words he'd ever said to me.

"You've done it, boy. I don't know what, but if she's this upset, it must have been pretty bad."

"I just want to explain…" My eyes drifted toward the steps, and I wondered if she knew I was there. Could she hear me trying to apologize?

"Well, now, I reckon you'll just have to wait until she's ready to hear you. Until then, stop throwing rocks at this house, you hear me?"

Charlie took my elbow and gently but firmly led me back to the front door. When we were on the porch and the latch clicked behind us, he leaned in and whispered.

"Look, I knew this whole dating thing would have to happen sooner or later, and I can't deny you're a damn sight better than any other dumb shit in this town. You're going places, Edward. None of the other kids around here seem to have any ambition. That's good enough for me. You make this right, you hear me? I don't want her taking up with some other idiot and settling down here instead of going to college."

Somewhere in there he'd called me an idiot, but I didn't mind. He'd also pretty much given me his blessing.

The trip back home was taken on lighter feet, but I tripped just inside the door when I found Mom and Dad on the couch waiting for me.

"It's a Friday night." I defended myself before they could even speak. "And I didn't drive anywhere."

Dad's lips twitched, and Mom rolled her eyes. They were not my parents. Real parents wouldn't laugh at their kids, would they?

"You're not in trouble, son. We just wanted to be here for you when you got back. Everything go okay?" Dad looked properly concerned, but Mom elbowed him with a snort.

"We were sure Charlie would chase you back across the field. Should we expect company soon?"

And there was the real story. Mom could always be counted on for honesty.

I drew myself up and stuck out my chest. "He gave me his blessing."

"So you got to see Bella?" Dad asked, his eyes showing his surprise.

"Well, no. But he told me he was rooting for me. That's as close to a blessing as I can get, right?"

Mom's smile was finally genuine and full of hope for me. "I guess you need a game plan."

Dad couldn't help getting one last jab in. "You sure we shouldn't expect Charlie and his gun soon?"

I stomped to the stairs without looking back.

"You are not my parents."


	28. Chapter 28

Edward:

I had a plan.

It was a crappy plan, of course, but a plan nonetheless. Since Bella seemed to think I had someone else on the side, I needed some way to show her she was that someone. The one on the side, the one in front of me, just…the one. I had to do all of that without scaring her or getting myself arrested for stalking.

Who was I kidding? I was going to lose the girl and go to jail. And my parents would probably laugh. I couldn't even imagine the teasing I'd suffer from my brother, but at least I'd managed to keep him out of things for the most part.

The thing about my plan was that it hinged on talking to Bella alone. Step one of that plan was proving impossible because Rosalie and Alice hadn't left her side since she'd stepped out of her truck that morning. I was stuck watching her and—let's face it—pining after her.

I took my time at my locker, hoping to catch a glimpse of her on the way to lunch. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so I planned to stay away. Just seeing her would have to do until biology.

"Where's your girl?" Mike opened the locker next to mine and tossed some books inside. "You're usually dry humping her right about now."

Before I could form a response, the rest of the guys joined him.

"Strike out, Cullen?" Tyler backed away after talking smack, probably worried I'd tackle him like I had on the first day of school, but the smirk remained firm.

I couldn't even muster the energy to deck him. All of my focus was on the plan—whatever the hell that was. The look on my face must have been as fierce as my fist, because he backed away even further and then dragged Mike and Eric down the hall.

The librarian looked shocked when I entered the room quietly and took a seat in the corner. The last time she'd seen me, I'd taken any book that had the word sex in it and moved them all to their own section. Mrs. Lindell eyed me for several minutes until she was satisfied I wouldn't move any of precious books and then left me to finish my plan.

What was my plan? It would have to be a note since Bella wouldn't talk to me. I'd have to make it the very best, sweetest, most sincere note ever.

_Bella,_

_I've been looking at pictures of you for two years and wishing you were mine._

Well, that sounded pretty creepy.

_Bella,_

_I haven't stopped thinking about you since the first time I saw you two years ago. I've filled out college applications for every college in Arizona, and I was just waiting for your Granny Edna to tell me which one you chose._

Also creepy. In addition to stalker, I could add pathetic to my title.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period and the beginning of the longest hour of my life. I crumpled the note and shoved it in my pocket. With my luck, Tyler would find it and destroy me with it.

I trudged down the hall to grab my books, no further along in my plan than where I'd started. I was going to have to wing it. Come up with smooth words on the fly. That would work…I'd been super smooth so far. I smacked myself on the forehead and cursed.

_God, help me._


	29. Chapter 29

Bella:

Alice sent text after text, but I ignored them all. It was childish of me to leave them all there without letting them know where I'd gone, but I figured Edward deserved the pleasure of explaining it all.

I also ignored the taps at my window later that night. I couldn't believe his nerve, trying to get my attention after everything he'd done. I burrowed under the covers and lay awake until sunrise. Before I could get out of bed, I heard Dad's voice carry up the stairs.

"You've done it, boy. I don't know what, but if she's this upset, it must have been pretty bad."

"I just want to explain…" Edward's voice was still so beautiful it hurt, even pinched and hoarse as it was.

"Well, now, I reckon you'll just have to wait until she's ready to hear you. Until then, stop throwing rocks at this house, you hear me?"

I had to grin. Nothing ever got by my father.

He and Granny Edna let me stay upstairs in my cocoon of sadness except for mealtimes. As we ate, no one said anything. Granny Edna looked like she wanted to a few times—even muttered about what a nice boy Edward was—but she never spoke up.

Sunday evening, I called Alice to thank her for checking in with me and for letting me have some space. Rosalie was there with her, and they'd been discussing me.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. He told us what happened." Rosalie sounded so sincere, without a single trace of _told-you-so_ in her voice.

"All of it?" I whispered.

I couldn't bear the idea that they knew the whole story before I did, but they had known him longer. It would make sense if they did.

"Well, no," Alice said. "He just told us he screwed up…and that he was sorry if we lost you as a friend."

The tears I'd been fighting for two days finally spilled over. With gasping breaths, I tried my best to comfort them.

"Oh, guys… I'm not going anywhere. I know it will be weird for a while with Edward around, but I'll eventually be fine with it all. I mean, he and Rosalie still hang out, right? I'm not going to let this thing mess up my friendships with you. I promise."

"Well, I don't care that I've known him longer." Rosalie's voice came through the speaker strong and sure. "You're my friend, and he's a bastard. I'll be right there beside you the moment you get out of your truck tomorrow. We won't let him hurt you again, babe."

She was serious, too. Both girls stood in my usual spot waiting for me the next day, somber smiles and hugs at the ready. They flanked me and led me to the front doors, encouraging me to keep my eyes forward instead of searching for him.

I made it to my locker without incident. I wondered if he would even show his face. He was just crazy enough to do it.

I'd forgotten to plan for biology class, probably because he didn't show at lunch. While I was assuming he'd stayed home, he was waiting for me at our lab table.

I didn't want to care that he had dark circles under his eyes or that his normally sun-kissed skin was pale and lifeless. He stared at the table in front of him and didn't acknowledge my presence. A folded sheet of paper, however, said hello in the biggest way.

His lips quirked when I picked it up—not exactly a smile, but perhaps an expression of hope. I started to set it back down, or rip it in to shreds, or even shove it up his nose. I deserved his words, though. I deserved to know.

_Please let me tell you about her._

Rage filled me again, and I nearly snapped my pen in half as I wrote out a response.

_Your girlfriend? Are you serious?_

He thought for a second before answering.

_I don't think she's my girlfriend anymore. And yes. When it comes to you, I'm very serious._

Too many questions filled my head at once. There was only one way to answer them, as hard as it would be. I slumped over and planted my forehead on the table, steeling myself for what was to come.

_Fine._

He almost fell off his stool when he read. Color filled his cheeks again, and he presented me with the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. It was so much more than his cheeky grins or his teasing smirks. It was even prettier than any of his pleased and happy smiles. This one held sadness and hope, mingled together on his handsome and exhausted face.

_After school. _I added more after a moment of thought. _Don't try to talk to me here, or I'm likely to kick your ass. Or at least yell a lot._


	30. Chapter 30

Bella:

"What the hell is up with Edward?"

The voices buzzed around me as I walked down the hall toward my last class of the day. I tried not to listen, but the words pierced me anyway.

"He was so quiet in class this morning. He's always up on the desks or hanging from the ceiling before the bell rings. I heard today was the first day he hasn't had detention in two years."

Edward trudged past me, head down, eyes on the floor. Everyone in his wake nudged each other and pointed. Why did the world stop turning when Edward stopped laughing? Had he never been sad before?

"Shit, Bella. You broke him." Emmett stared after his brother in awe. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve." Rosalie answered for me and punched Emmett's arm. "How come no one's worried about Bella? Did anyone think to ask her if she's okay?"

Her words gave me comfort, but only a little. As pissed off as I was, I still hated to see Edward hurting—and he obviously was, if his behavior was any indication. Had he lost his girlfriend over me? The girl he'd loved for years?

I didn't want to feel sorry for him if he had. He'd pretty much cheated on her with me, even if we'd never done more than hold hands. Still, I'd grown to really care about him. I still lost my breath whenever I saw him, felt those tingles inside my chest. If I'd somehow broken him, then we were even. He'd ruined me.

My last class involved staring at the board and pretending to be present, but no one was fooled—not even Mrs. Banks. She called on me once for an answer but had mercy on me when I just stared at her blankly.

All I could think about was getting home. Would he come straight over after school, or would I have to wait even more long hours for my explanation?

He was waiting for me. Damn Granny Edna for loving him to pieces, because she'd let him in before I got home and gave him the element of surprise. She even gave him cookies.

When she saw me staring at him, she patted Edward on the shoulder and excused herself. I raised an eyebrow and waited.

"I was sitting right here the first time I saw her."

That was all he said.


	31. Chapter 31

Edward:

She said yes. Well, she wrote _fine_, but that was a yes. She said yes to my ridiculous, vague, rambly note. How I'd managed to stumble through it and get the answer I needed, I had no idea. And then, after I got her yes, I had to sit through two more hours of school before I could actually talk.

But at least she'd said she would listen.

The moment the final bell rang, I tore off down the hall, eyes down, ignoring all the whispers, so I could get my truck and beat her to Granny Edna's house. I needed the old lady on my side.

"Edward! Come on in, honey. We weren't sure we'd see you for a while."

_Ouch. Thanks, Granny Edna. You better have cookies._

"Lucky for you, I have some cookies fresh from the oven."

I knew I loved that woman. I let her lead me to the living room and get me settled with gooey chocolate chip goodness and milk.

"So, what seems to be the problem, dear?"

Through garbled words slowed by chewing, I relayed the story. She was kind enough not to laugh until I got to the part where I confessed I'd never told Bella I knew who she was.

"Oh, my. That does put you in a bit of a pickle. I almost told her myself that night you brought over Esme's Holy Smoke, but you made that racket in the kitchen and I plumb forgot."

I resisted the urge to facepalm, figuring I'd already hurt myself enough. If I hadn't been doing ninja kicks and knocking over pots and pans, this whole thing wouldn't have happened.

"Well, you're a good kid, Edward. I always thought you were a bit too devoted to my photo albums, but if it all works out, I won't hold that against you."

She tempered her words with another cookie, so I forgave her again. I heard Bella's truck rumble into the drive, and hurried to cram the last bite into my mouth. I was still chewing when she opened the door, and I was lost.

Granny Edna made herself scarce, leaving me to shoulder the brunt of Bella's hostility. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind, my only thought that I needed to convince Bella that she was the girl, the only girl, for more than two years.

"I was sitting right here the first time I saw her."

When her eyes narrowed, I knew it was the worst thing I could have said.

"More, Edward. There's gotta be more."

Oh, and there was. There was so much more. I was just scared to death to tell her. I was also covered in chocolate from Granny Edna's cookies, looking the fool and feeling like it, too. I couldn't have looked more like a douche if I'd tried.

Slowly, I took her through the story—how I'd seen her first high school picture and fallen in love immediately. She didn't take exception to the years of photo stalking like I'd expected. Instead, she was shocked I'd found her frizzy hair and braces attractive.

I'd been the scrawniest, pimpliest fourteen-year-old in Cedar Ridge, so she'd been an angel by comparison. The looks hadn't mattered, though. Her eyes were what drew me in and held me until she'd arrived to snare me with the rest of her.

She seemed to be taking everything stride, which surprised the hell out of me. I'd expected some screaming and maybe even an appearance by Charlie and the handgun.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

And there was the question that I couldn't answer without looking like a creep.

I was going to do it anyway.


	32. Chapter 32

Edward:

_Time to nut up._

This was the moment—the moment everything could be either fixed completely or destroyed beyond repair. It all depended on Bella's personal definition of _stalker._ According to mine, I was one. I mean, I'd never sat outside her house or tapped her phone lines or whatever, but I had ogled her photos for years without her consent or knowledge.

The part where I told her I was aware of her—that I'd known who she was—had gone off without a hitch. I could only be so lucky. That thought made me laugh, but I wasn't amused.

"Tell you what? That I came over every day after that to sit and go through photo albums with your Granny Edna? That I pumped her for stories about you, asked about guys you might be dating, got jealous if she mentioned any boy's name? Is that what I should have told you? Or how about the fact that I started paying attention in school for the first time in my life? I'm still a goof, but I never missed a homework assignment or got anything lower than a B on anything after that, because your Granny Edna said you were a good student who was going places. I was just like everyone else in this town until she told me that. I've been collecting college applications to every school in Arizona, saving up every cent so I could go wherever you went and finally meet you. Should I have told you that?"

Nice one. I couldn't talk to her for months, and then the dam broke. I should have brought her flowers…or chocolate. Anything to sweeten the gush of words I'd just drowned her in.

And I wasn't done, apparently.

"You got out of the truck on the first day of school, and I knew exactly who you were. I thought I'd play it safe and check things out…see if you might like me even a little bit. It seemed like you were doing your best to shut me out, so I stepped up my game. I talked to my mom…"

I'd called her New Girl to keep from calling her Bella…to avoid tipping her off that I already knew who she was. I'd kept calling her New Girl because the only outward sign she showed that I affected her was the flash of irritation when I refused to use her real name. It was intoxicating…addictive. She was beautiful in her ire.

"Mom told me to just be myself, let you get to know me slowly so I wouldn't overwhelm you with my stupid crush. But the more I got to know you, the more I fell…"

In love. Jesus, I loved her so much. Why couldn't I stop talking? Why didn't she say something—anything—to shut me up, even if it was to scream and order me to leave?

"The girl…the cheerleader…"

And still she didn't see. Did she not understand she was _it_?

"There is no cheerleader, Bella."

_Do it. Tell her. Tell her everything._

"You're it. You."

I deserved a trophy. At least a plaque or something. Hell, I'd be happy with a certificate. _The Nut-Up Award, for farking idiots who finally tell it like it is, goes to Edward Cullen._

"She said you've been in love…" Her voice trailed off.

Oh. That part. So I hadn't told it like it was. My Nut-Up Award was rescinded on the spot. I decided to go for gold.

Summoning everything I had, I crossed the room and knelt in front of her. ""Please don't let that scare you, Bella. It's true."

Her eyes flashed with something like joy. I didn't dare believe it—not until I'd told her everything. How could a pimply, fourteen-year-old idiot really know love?

"I thought I was in love with you before I met you, but it was just a picture…a story about a pretty girl on the other side of the country. But then I met you, and yes. I fell in love with you."

She said nothing, but her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Jesus, I hoped they were good tears. If they were bad tears, she had to know I'd still love her anyway, even if she made me go away.

"I hope that's okay, but nothing will change if it's not."

And holy shit if she didn't nod. And _smile. _I was just steps away from having it all. With just a few more words, I might be able to hold Bella in my arms and really call her mine. The last step was letting her know that I wasn't messing around, contrary to popular belief or opinion.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I flirted with others when you weren't here just to…I don't know…pass the time, I guess. To keep people from wondering why I didn't date. I couldn't. I compared everyone to you. But I am serious about you. I want to flirt with only you, hold hands with only you, and…kiss—"

She grabbed the front of my shirt in her little fist, and I prepared myself for the slap. But she didn't hit me. She pressed her beautiful, amazing, miraculous mouth to mine and killed me a million times.

Holy mother of… Her tongue swept across my lips, asking me for more, and I gave it. Shy and sweet, warm and wet, it was so much more than I'd ever dreamed, as I lost myself in her. The taste, the feel, the twisting in my chest as she stole whatever was left of my heart. The slip and slide of her hair through my fingers, the satin of her skin against the rough scrape of mine. I never wanted to forget any of it, ever. I could have held her right there for the rest of my life and never wanted for another thing.

I forgot about Charlie and his gun.

"Well, at least you have all your clothes on."

The man would never let me live it down. He'd probably include the truck-top erotic dance in his toast at our wedding. Our wedding…which would lead to—

"Let's keep it that way."

Or maybe not.

Probably best that we didn't get out of hand. Actually, it was a good idea for me to get the hell out of Dodge before I could screw it all up again. My track record wasn't so hot. Before I could go, I had to be sure.

"Are you my girlfriend again?"

"If you're my boyfriend."

Silly girl. I was hers the moment I saw her. Still, I'd gotten into trouble because I didn't say what was on my mind. I took a deep breath and said what I should have told her on the first day of school when she tumbled out of her truck.

"I'm yours."


	33. Chapter 33

Bella:

"More, Edward. There's gotta be more."

He licked a drop of chocolate from the corner of his lips, and I sat down hard on the couch to hide the fact my legs had just turned to jelly.

"I'd just discovered girls. Well, not _just_ discovered, but you know… Had my first girlfriend or whatever they're called when you're thirteen. Rosalie moved to town, and she was prettier than my girlfriend, so I broke up with her and started flirting with the new girl."

"This all sounds a little familiar," I said archly.

He had the decency to look ashamed, but he didn't stop speaking. "Your uncle Jerry was always in and out at the time, and he couldn't do everything on his own, so my dad started sending me and Emmett over to help out. Granny Edna always had some cookies as payment for us. One day I came inside, determined to grab my cookies and run—don't judge me. I was thirteen, and she seemed really old to me at the time."

I stared. What on earth did any of this have to do with Granny Edna?

He sent me a wry grin, probably knowing he was confusing me more than he was fixing things. "Your dad sent your Uncle Jerry a letter with your first high school photo. I was here cramming cookies in my mouth when he got it. I saw you that day, Bella, and I never looked back."

That was the worst picture I'd ever had taken! What the hell was wrong with him?

"Are you for real, Edward? That picture was disgusting. I still had braces, for God's sake."

"Well, you should have seen me at fourteen. I wasn't exactly a catch. To me, you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I stopped flirting with Rosalie that day. I guess we broke up or whatever, but Jesus. We were fourteen. It wasn't like we'd been on a bunch of dates. I'd never even kissed her."

I was reeling. I didn't even know what to say. Except…

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

He chuckled darkly. "Tell you what? That I came over every day after that to sit and go through photo albums with your Granny Edna? That I pumped her for stories about you, asked about guys you might be dating, got jealous if she mentioned any boy's name? Is that what I should have told you?"

Shock and happiness warred inside me, stealing my voice. He'd seen me? He knew who I was the first day of school? All this time, he'd been interested because of a single school picture, and he'd never said a word?

"Or how about the fact that I started paying attention in school for the first time in my life? I'm still a goof, but I never missed a homework assignment or got anything lower than a B on anything after that, because your Granny Edna said you were a good student who was going places. I was just like everyone else in this town until she told me that. I've been collecting college applications to every school in Arizona, saving up every cent so I could go wherever you went and finally meet you. Should I have told you that?"

Words just kept pouring from him. He pulled at his hair and rubbed the back of his neck as he spilled everything—all the things he hadn't told me.

"You got out of the truck on the first day of school, and I knew exactly who you were. I thought I'd play it safe and check things out…see if you might like me even a little bit. It seemed like you were doing your best to shut me out, so I stepped up my game. I talked to my mom…"

So that's why I hadn't met his parents yet. He was afraid they'd spill the beans.

"I couldn't talk to our friends because they'd have told. Emmett would have had way too much fun with the information; we both know that. Mom told me to just be myself, let you get to know me slowly so I wouldn't overwhelm you with my stupid crush. But the more I got to know you, the more I fell."

I thought back to the words the girl had spoken at the football game—the ones that had nearly destroyed me.

_He just told me he's been in love with this girl for almost two years._

"The girl…the cheerleader…"

"There is no cheerleader, Bella." Edward interrupted me in a panic, frustration coloring his voice. "You're it. You."

"No. I mean, she said you've been in love…" I couldn't even make myself say the words for fear of hope. It was just too much hope to handle.

Edward stood and crossed the room to kneel down in front of the couch where I sat. He took my hands with no fight from me and smiled.

"Please don't let that scare you, Bella. It's true. I thought I was in love with you before I met you, but it was just a picture…a story about a pretty girl on the other side of the country. But then I met you, and yes. I fell in love with you. I hope that's okay, but nothing will change if it's not."

I nodded dumbly. Edward Cullen loved me.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I flirted with others when you weren't here just to…I don't know…pass the time, I guess. To keep people from wondering why I didn't date. I couldn't. I compared everyone to you. But I am serious about you. I want to flirt with only you, hold hands with only you, and…kiss—"

The collar of his shirt was in my fist before I realized what I was doing. I pulled him toward me, giving him no time to react, and pressed my lips against his. He froze in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around me to pull me to the edge of the cushion. There, on his knees, Edward Cullen gave me the very best kiss of my life.

Lips, soft and warm as I'd dared to dream they'd be, teased and nipped at mine. His breath, so sweet and chocolaty, swept over me, and I gasped. He took the opportunity to tease me with his tongue, brushing it across my lower lip tenderly and groaning when I returned the gesture.

I didn't know how long I stayed there, lost in the miracle of his mouth, the magic of his arms, but we didn't resurface until I heard a throat clearing.

"Well, at least you have all your clothes on," Dad said as he stomped through the living room to the kitchen. "Let's keep it that way."

Edward pulled away quickly, color filling his cheeks at being caught yet again by my father. I touched his cheek, cupped his face in my hands, and kissed him one more time before I let him back away completely.

"So…" I started, trying to process everything that had happened.

"Are you my girlfriend again?" he asked, his eyes filled with hope.

"If you're my boyfriend."

He pulled me up into a joyful hug, rocking me back and forth slowly.

"I'm yours," he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.

"Then I'm yours, too."


	34. Chapter 34

**Here starts a collection of outtakes, all in order.**

Edward:

If you asked any red-blooded American guy, he'd tell you the only reason to go to prom was what happened after. The girl I wanted to take to prom was the daughter of the county sheriff, so I wouldn't have told the truth under threat of torture. To be honest, I didn't expect anything anyway. I hoped, though. Jesus, I hoped.

Talking Bella into going to prom wasn't going to be easy. Alice was determined to get her into something too tight and too short, of which I approved, and cram her feet into shoes that would likely cause her to break her neck. Hey, we'd all seen her try to walk around in tennis shoes. Heels were a bad idea. I was totally on my girlfriend's side with that one.

I wasn't going to force her to do anything she didn't want to do. I wasn't against flirting to get my way, however.

"Guess who's up for Prom King and Queen?" Alice plopped down at the lunch table, excitement painted all over her face.

"You." Bella offered this with a deadpan expression.

"Well, yes. But we don't have a chance against the cutest couple in school." She waggled her eyebrows at both of us with a big, silly grin.

"We are pretty cute, aren't we?" I wrapped an arm around Bella's neck and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"And it only seems right you take your brother's title from last year," Jasper interjected.

A nomination for Prom King was not exactly on his list of to-dos, but then Bella didn't seem too jazzed about it all either.

"I thought girls loved prom. What's the deal, Bella?" Jasper looked truly curious—like he wanted to solve the problem for her.

She shrugged. "Dancing's not my thing. I mean, I'm a klutz; that much is clear. But then, I'm also really bad at it. I mean, I just look stupid. Really, really stupid."

Her face glowed red for a moment before she buried it in my chest to hide her embarrassment. I ran my hand over her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"We don't have to dance." I whispered this right into her ear, brushing my lips over the tender skin there as I did so. "I just want a chance to treat you like a princess all night long."

The _all night long_ had much more meaning than I let on. With a mischievous grin, she leaned into me a bit more and slid her nose up the edge of my jaw.

"I thought everyone wanted me to be queen," she breathed.

"That could be arranged," I promised, discreetly adjusting myself.

She sat back with an expression of pure satisfaction and shook her head. "You're too good at this. You already treat me like a princess, baby."

"You deserve even more. Come on, Bella. Let Alice pamper you and put you in a dress that makes you feel as special as you are. And then let me pick you up in a fancy car and take you to the best dinner of your life before we go watch all the idiots at this school bump and grind on the dance floor."

"And then?" she whispered, her eyes dark and full of promise.

Holy shit. Bella Swan was onto me.


	35. Chapter 35

Edward:

"Did you get your tux yet?"

Jasper plopped down in the seat across from me and eyed me over his Coke can.

"Why do you sound like a girl?"

He allowed a smile and shook his head. "Trust me. If you want to keep your girl happy around prom time, you have to think like a girl. That means talking about shopping and flowers and shit. So, I ask again—did you get your tux yet?"

"You forget I have the most amazing girlfriend in the entire world. _I_ had to talk _her_ into going to prom. Everything I do from here on out is just bonus points."

Jasper laughed until he snorted. "Jesus, you're such a dumbass sometimes. You may have had to convince her, but now that she's on board, you better bring your A game. I'm not kidding. The prom is like…the wedding without the commitment. If you mess this up, she'll never forgive you."

He said wedding. My heart did a little flip at the word, and I had to busy myself with my pizza so Jasper wouldn't see. He already called me whipped, though he had a lot of room to talk with the way Alice'd had him tied up in knots for years.

"I didn't rent it yet, but I found it. Bella's going to love it. It's camouflage."

Soda spewed out of Jasper's mouth and nose, covering me, my lunch, and most of the table.

"Please tell me you meant to say something else."

"No way, dude. Camouflage. The whole thing. Pants, jacket, vest, bow tie… The only thing that's not is the shirt. I have to buy my own."

"You are the dumbest son of a bitch that ever lived. I'm glad you didn't already pay for it." He dropped his voice when he saw the girls approaching. "You better cancel your order or whatever and get a real tux. She'd probably let you by with a suit, as long as it's a really nice one, but you can't wear camouflage to the prom. She'd never forgive you."

I narrowed my eyes at him, certain he was wrong. I had the coolest girlfriend in the world, and she'd think a camouflage tux was the funniest thing ever.

"Watch." I mouthed the word to Jasper, confidence in my girl nearly brimming over.

"I got my tux today." I pulled Bella into my lap as I spoke.

Her eyes shone with excitement. "Is it nice?"

"It's perfect. The whole thing is camouflage."

She giggled helplessly and pressed a kiss to my temple. "You're such a nut. Of course it's camouflage. I wouldn't expect anything else."

Alice glared daggers at me but didn't say a word. I was too busy reveling in my victory over Jasper to notice he was about to speak.

"You do know he's serious, right? He picked out the whole thing, down to the bow tie. It's brown and green."

Bella froze in my arms. "You really got a camouflage tux?"

Her face was pale and drawn, all traces of humor gone.

_Whoa. Prom is important. Duly noted._

"Shut up, Jasper. I didn't really get the camouflage tux, baby. We're just teasing you."

Jasper kicked me under the table, and I bit my lip to keep from shouting. So he was right. Big deal.

Actually, it was a big deal. If he hadn't said anything, I'd have ruined my girl's whole high school experience. With my head hanging in defeat, I glanced across the table. Ignoring his smug smile, I mouthed more words.

"Thank you."


	36. Chapter 36

Edward:

I wanted to kill Alice for making my girl feel inadequate. Pulling her aside to give her hell had to suffice. How could she not have considered the cost when she made appointments at some of the most expensive salons in Knoxville for prom day? Did it even run through Alice's mind that Charlie had enough on his plate, caring for an elderly woman and paying to keep her house and small farm in working order, without having to shell out hundreds of dollars for Bella to get her hair done for one night? My beautiful girl had told Alice in no uncertain terms that she'd do everything herself.

_Here I come to save the day!_

I felt like a hero when I knocked on the door, but when Charlie answered, I deflated a bit.

"The prom's not for eight hours, Cullen." He huffed through his mustache, but his eyes twinkled.

"Uh, I know, sir. I was going to see if Bella wanted to go have her hair and makeup done in Knoxville."

Charlie stepped out onto the front porch and shut the door behind him. "Now, son, I know you mean well, but we really just can't afford it. If Edna hadn't had that dress up in the attic, Bella wouldn't even have something to wear."

I stepped back and gulped. Sharing that with me must have cost Charlie a lot. We'd all watched as the family struggled to keep it together since moving to Cedar Ridge, and I'd hated to see Bella taking all her clothes to a consignment shop just so she could pay for school things. Their pride was about the only thing they had left, and he'd just spent a lot of it.

"We're not going where Alice is going. There's another place… My aunt Carmen owns it. They'll pamper her and make her feel special, and Carmen said she'd only charge twenty dollars for the day. Family discount and stuff."

My mom was amazing.

Charlie huffed again and crossed his arms, but the sparkle in his eyes told me I'd won. He nodded once and opened the door to usher me in.

"Bella," he called. "Edward's here."

She flew down the steps, wearing ratty jeans, a button-up shirt she'd stolen from my closet, and some ridiculous purple goop on her face. She was gorgeous.

"What are you doing here? Prom's not until tonight. I'm not ready. I haven't even started." Her words jumbled together as she reached the bottom of the stairs and fell into my arms.

"And you still have a little something on your face," Charlie pointed out helpfully.

She shrank back in horror and planted her hands right into the middle of the mess on her cheeks with a squelching slap.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Christ, I loved her.

"You can't be here," she babbled. "You can't see me like this. I'm not going to look like this tonight; I promise."

I pulled her closer and took her hands in mine, ignoring the sticky facemask coating our fingers. "You're gorgeous. But you shouldn't have to do all this yourself. Let me take you to see my Aunt Carmen. She gives me really good deals on my haircuts because I'm family. I know she'll take good care of you. Whatever you want, baby."

Charlie cleared his throat, and I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Well, she was my baby. He'd have to get used to that.

"But I—" Bella started, flapping her hands nervously. "I'm a mess."

"Go on, baby." Charlie cut his eyes to me, a silent challenge in their depths.

Fine, fine. She was still his baby, too. But she was my girl.

"Go wash your face and get your stuff. Let Edward's aunt pamper you today."

She didn't need to be told twice. In a flash, she was back up the steps and making an unholy racket as she grabbed her things.

"Thank you for doing this, son. You, or your mom, or your aunt. Whoever was smart enough to know what a girl needs on prom day. Is it really only twenty bucks?"

His gaze held a bit of an accusation, but I didn't take it to heart. I'd have paid the extra, if my aunt charged it.

"Carmen said she'd do it for free, but I told her Bella would want to pay something."

Charlie nodded, a smile finally forming. He didn't need to know there was a price for me to pay, but I'd do it gladly. It wasn't money, though. Carmen said I had to have everything done that Bella did—hair, nails, the works. It was going to be a long day.


	37. Chapter 37

"Edward, this place is really nice." Bella gripped my hand and stared around the salon with wide eyes.

"I know."

I was really proud of my Aunt Carmen. She'd worked really hard to make Dandelion the top salon in Knoxville's Old City. Of course, I hadn't told Bella where we were going. She'd have made me turn the car around. Alice would be really jealous when she found out she'd gone to Blaze while Bella got pampered at Dandelion, but she should have thought about that before making appointments and thus embarrassing my girl.

"She can't charge me twenty dollars for this," Bella hissed. "Look at—"

"Family discount, babe." I pretended to polish my fingernails on my shirt and grinned. "Come on. She's gonna love you."

I dragged her through the door into the wide-open space inside.

"—the chandeliers." Bella continued as if I hadn't spoken. "And the flowers. Oh, it's so pretty."

"Edward!"

I looked away from Bella and saw Carmen headed in our direction. She was grinning from ear to ear and couldn't tear her eyes from my girlfriend. Yeah. I was chopped liver. I didn't care, though. Why would anyone want to look at me when Bella was around?

"Hey, Aunt C. This is Bella. Bella, my favorite aunt, Carmen."

"You are gorgeous," Carmen gushed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Bella's ear. "Come, tell me all about your dress so we can figure out what to do with your hair."

Bella looked back at me with wide eyes, but I smiled and waved her on.

Carmen kept talking as she walked. "You, too, Edward. Don't forget our agreement."

I chuckled and followed them to the sinks in the back. Carmen was settling Bella in for a shampoo, so I took the chair next to her. One of the younger girls approached with a friendly smile, but my aunt waved her away.

"You do Bella over here. I'll take care of my nephew."

For a moment, I wanted to argue that Bella deserved the owner's attentions, but I caught a glimpse of relief on my girl's face. A glance at the disappointed shampoo girl said everything.

Jeez, my Aunt Carmen was smart.

"You excited, baby?"

I probably didn't need to use schmoopy nicknames, but it was important to me that I identify Bella as my girl in front of everyone. No flirting with others—not even innocently.

A grin bloomed on her face, and I knew I'd done it exactly right. She nodded and leaned back to start the day of pampering. I settled in to suffer right along with her. No one could ever have gotten me to admit it, but I really enjoyed the shampoo part. Carmen used tingly stuff that felt really good.

Okay, and I really enjoyed the manicures, too. There's nothing wrong with a guy having clean hands and nice fingernails, right?

Fine. I also enjoyed the pedicure, too. I'd have dared anyone to sit in a massage chair for an hour and get a foot rub to say they hated it.

What I didn't like was my hair. I kept my gaze on Bella as they put her long, dark locks on huge rollers, painted her lips a brilliant red, and lined her eyes in dark pencil. I hadn't thought she could look any prettier, but I shouldn't have doubted Carmen. I was so stuck on Bella that I didn't pay attention to what the young stylist did to me.

Until she turned the chair so I could see her handiwork.

"It's a bouffant!" I leapt from the seat and started to mess it all back up again.

"Stop," Bella said softly.

My hands froze halfway to my head.

"If you touch that, I'll be forced to kill you."

I turned to give her an _are you crazy_ look but was distracted by her expression.

She looked like she wanted to pounce on me…and maybe mess up my new bouffant herself.

"I look like James Dean," I muttered.

"I know." Her tone was reverent.

_Well, then._


	38. Chapter 38

Edward:

After I dropped Bella off at her house to get dressed, the nerves set in. If everything went according to plan, and her father didn't kill me at some point between picking Bella up and her three a.m. curfew, I would no longer be a virgin the next morning.

We hadn't exactly discussed the details, but she knew I'd gotten a hotel room down the street from the event hall where the prom was being held. She never looked nervous when we hinted at the night's potential, and her confidence in me had kept my nerves at bay. With everything crashing down and just a few hours before I had to pick her up again, self-doubt crept in.

I had no idea what I was doing. Zero clue. We'd fooled around a little bit, and I'd watched her orgasm several times. But sex…it scared me. Not the pleasure part of it. Holy shit, I was excited about that. I just had no idea how to, well, please her. I'd heard stories. I'd be lucky to last more than thirty seconds, especially as hot as she got me just by licking her lips.

Which led to the certainty that she'd laugh at me. If I was lucky, she wouldn't share my failings with Rose and Alice, but I'd have to live with her disappointment forever.

Just as I'd decided to skip the sex, my phone rang. I tossed my vest onto the bed, glad for one more minute without wearing it, and snatched up the cell.

"So it's prom night," Emmett said without preamble.

I imagined his eyebrows waggling and sighed.

"Yep." My reply was clipped. Emmett didn't often call just to chat; he usually found more than one way to make me feel like an ass.

"Special plans, brother of mine?"

He didn't take long to travel down the road toward Edward's Embarrassment.

"Uh, yeah. The _prom_. Dancing, cheap food laid out on fancy plates, doing the YMCA… You know, prom. You did it last year."

"The prom doesn't last until Bella's curfew, though. You've got something up your sleeve for after, don't you?"

I flopped down on the bed with a sigh. "Why would I tell you this, Emmett? I already got my hair and nails did, anyway. You're too late for girl talk."

"It's all right to be nervous. I won't laugh. I was scared shitless the first time Rose and I—"

"Stop!" I sat up quickly and dropped the phone to cover my ears.

I still heard Emmett's laughter over the line. After the mental images faded, I picked the phone up and suffered the last of his chuckles.

"Look, I'm calling to perform my brotherly duty. I left a little something for you. I figured someday you'd find your balls and need it."

"I've watched porn, Emmett," I said flatly.

He roared again. "Baby's all growed up."

I contemplated hanging up, but he had me curious. My pride was dispensable if I could learn how to please Bella…or at least not embarrass the hell out of myself.

"That stuff you've watched doesn't take the girl into account at all, dumbass. You know how to get off, but what about Bella?"

My silence spurred him on.

"I kept a little collection and set it aside for this day. I knew it was coming." He snorted at his cleverness. "Check under your desk."

"You left porn in my room?" I was horrified. "What if Mom found it?"

"Just look, spaz."

Sure enough, he'd taped a disc to the underside of my desk where no one could find it unless looking specifically for it. I thanked him quickly and hung up without another word.

A glance at the clock told me I had at least an hour before I needed to get ready and go pick up Bella, so I locked the door and settled onto my bed. The CD whizzed and whirred loudly, and heat rushed to my cheeks. My parent's couldn't possibly have heard the noise, but my guilt made it seem so much louder.

When the first scene started, I stared in shock. No naked bodies or cheesy music. No dirty words or enthusiastic grunting. What the hell had Emmett left for me to watch?

Instead, a scene from familiar movie showed a man desperately in love with a woman. His eyes burned, and every kiss conveyed adoration instead of lust. She shivered when he caressed her cheek, sighed when their fingers tangled. Laughter punctuated the passion, making the scene even sweeter.

Jesus, my brother was smart. I already knew everything I needed to know.

I loved Bella, and she loved me. As long as we remembered that when we touched, we had nothing to fear.


	39. Chapter 39

Bella:

"Here's the Prom King and Queen now," Jasper shouted the moment we arrived at the event hall.

"Oh, my God, Bella, you look gorgeous!" Alice eyed my dress jealously, and I felt a twinge of pride.

Wearing Granny Edna's old evening gown was a gamble…until I discovered it was vintage Chanel. Granny Edna used to be quite the socialite back in the day. The deep blue sequins were a little over the top for a small-town prom, but I fell in love with the dress anyway.

"You look like a starlet from the fifties. Where did you get your hair done?"

"Edward took me to Dandelion this morning."

As expected, Alice's expression registered surprise, envy, and happiness, all at the same time. I couldn't help feeling a bit smug, especially since I'd struggled on my own with hot rollers and stabbed myself in the eye with mascara before Edward showed up and whisked me to his aunt's salon.

"That's the most expensive spa in Knoxville." Her voice was hushed with awe. "You are so lucky."

Edward slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him, his lips pulled into a grin as he kissed my temple. "Told you you'd be the prettiest one here. Let's get some food."

I let him drag me to the buffet, where ridiculous amounts of cookies, cocktail sausages, meatballs, crackers, cheese, and hot wings were assembled.

_Hot wings at the prom._ _Welcome to Tennessee._

"Thank Christ," he muttered, loading his plate with chicken. "I thought we'd end up with those stupid little vegetable sandwiches my mom makes or something. Can I get you something?"

"I'll just eat all your cookies." I smirked at the pile of sweets next to his hot wings. "If you don't mind sharing."

"They're all yours."

The rest of the night was a hazy mix of dancing like loons—well, Edward danced like a loon while I swayed back and forth and laughed until my stomach hurt, giggling with Alice and Jasper, and whispering about the hotel key burning a hole in his pocket. We were high on each other, the music, and sugar from the buffet table, but it all died when Mr. Letner tapped the microphone.

"If you'll allow me to interrupt your revelry," the principal started.

"What a pompous ass," Edward muttered. "I miss him. Maybe I should get detention at least once before graduation…for old time's sake."

"Don't do anything stupid." Jasper nudged him, knowing full well Edward had been voted the prom king.

The prom queen title was still up in the air. I didn't think I had a chance in hell, but Edward had been gabbing about it like it had already happened. My vote had been for Alice, but my bet was on the new girl.

Not me. Another new girl had come to Cedar Ridge at the start of senior year and had all the boys in fights on the first day. I'd worried for about half a second that Edward would drop me bad habit, but he'd never even looked her way. Rosalie would have hated all her blonde curls and her big blue eyes, but she was off at the University of Tennessee with Emmett.

"Your votes have been tallied, and your Prom King is…Edward Cullen!"

Whistles and claps from the eighty students present rang out, and Edward bolted from his chair with a shout.

"I'll see you up there, baby." He kissed my lips, his mouth sloppy with laughter.

We all watched him accept his crown and staff proudly before turning our attention back to Mr. Letner.

"And your Prom Queen…Jessica Stanley!"

In the shocked pause before the applause, we all heard Edward's scepter hit the floor.


	40. Chapter 40

Bella:

"The new girl?" Jasper didn't bother hiding his surprise.

"She cheated." Alice spoke over the shocked murmurs.

Slowly, like some cheesy scene in a teen movie, everyone started to clap. The applause grew steadily, and some threw in whistles and stupid barking sounds. I didn't know why everyone was surprised. Jessica Stanley had ruled the school since her first day and had every single guy wrapped around her little finger—and some of the ones with girlfriends, too.

"There aren't enough guys in the class for their votes to beat the girls." Alice's brow creased in frustration. "Even if she voted for herself, you still should have come out by a few votes. Plus, Edward and Jasper voted for you."

"I didn't vote for her." Jasper ducked his head apologetically. "I didn't vote for Jessica either."

Alice's cheeks colored as she realized whom he _had_ voted for. A little smile crossed her face before the frown appeared again. "Still. All the girls voted for you; I know it."

"I didn't vote for me." I shot her a pointed look and smiled at Jasper.

"Damn it, guys." Alice stomped her foot and tried not to look pleased. "That's really sweet, but those two votes probably cost you the crown."

"The queen and king will now share a dance." Mr. Letner reminded us of the festivities going on around us.

My heart plummeted to the floor at the thought of Jessica in Edward's arms. I almost couldn't meet his gaze, worried he would already be pulling her into his embrace. When I finally looked his way, I gasped.

He hadn't bothered to pick up his scepter. It lay on the ground in front of him, completely abandoned. Jessica grinned at the crowd and straightened her tiara, oblivious to her king's distress. When she reached for his hand so he could lead her to the dance floor, he jerked away like he'd been electrocuted. All the while, his eyes never left mine.

A mottled red crept up the prom queen's neck as she registered the rejection. With a furious glare in my direction, she tucked her arm through his and dragged him to the steps. The DJ, who would forever be on my shit list, started a sappy love song designed to make the royal couple feel the romance.

"Oh, hell, no." I kicked my shoes off and started to unfasten my earrings, ready for my first ever girl fight.

Before I could swoop in and claim my boy, Edward broke free from her clutches and leapt from the front of the stage to the dance floor. The students all went crazy with applause, probably assuming he was about to dance on his own.

Instead, he ripped the crown off, plopped it unceremoniously onto Mike Newton's head, and then dragged the stunned boy over to where Jessica stood frozen with embarrassment and anger.

"She's not my queen, so I don't really care to be king," Edward announced. "Ya'll have fun."

Without another word, he raced across the floor to where I stood and lifted me off the ground in a crushing embrace.

"Oh, my God, I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too, baby." He pressed tender kisses to my lips, cheeks, and neck as I clung to him. "This prom officially blows. You ready to get out of here?"

"I was ready about five minutes ago."


	41. Chapter 41

Edward:

"I can't believe you just did that!"

Bella spilled through the door into the parking lot, her cheeks high with color. She didn't look back at the festivities we'd left behind, not even to wave goodbye to Alice.

"What? Refused to put my arms around another girl?"

She stopped and turned, the skirt of her dress swinging invitingly. I had to rip my gaze from the sparkling sequins to see the surprise on her face.

"Well, that's what it was. You weren't all gung-ho about being Prom Queen or anything. I knew you didn't care about that. It was all about holding her when I wanted to hold you."

"But it was just a dance, Edward. The king always dances with the queen. You didn't have to abdicate. I mean, you threw your scepter in protest." She stepped closer and put a hand on my arm.

I slid my fingers through hers and brushed my lips over her knuckles. "I did not throw it. I dropped it. And it's not just a dance. It's touching another girl. I swore to myself I'd never give you any reason to doubt me, and that includes an innocent dance to a stupid song."

Bella laid her head on my chest and sighed. Without words, we moved to music we couldn't hear. I released her hands and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her even closer as we swayed.

"I'm not unreasonable," she whispered. "You can have friends that are girls."

I laughed into her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. My beautiful, sweet, generous, understanding Bella. How she trusted me, after I'd nearly lost her because of my stupid, flirtatious ways.

"My friendships aren't suffering, baby. Friends or not, there's never a reason for me to touch any girl the way I touch you."

Fierce love and gratitude burned in her eyes. "Let's go. Let's get out of here."

And just like that, I was a fucking rock star again. How did my girl always make me feel like a king? No, not a king, since I'd abdicated my throne. A ninja. I was a ninja. I hoped I could keep that up in bed when we got to the hotel, but for at least that one moment, I kicked ass.

That feeling, that all-consuming, master-of-all-things feeling, crashed the moment I turned into the hotel parking lot. I hadn't skimped. The hotel was one of the nicest in Knoxville, even if we would only be there for a few hours. I couldn't put my finger on the problem. I was about to call Bella mine in every way possible, and she would do the same with me. We wanted nothing more than to share the last of ourselves with each other, but something was really, terribly wrong.

Bella didn't move after I parked the car. We stared up at the building in front of us, silent save for our breaths. When I got the nerve to look, I saw she was white as a sheet.

"Are you afraid?"

She jolted in her seat, and pink filled her cheeks. I grabbed for her hand and squeezed it.

"Not of you…of what we're going to do. I just…"

"Something's wrong."

"No! It's a beautiful hotel. But maybe we should… I don't know."

"I mean something feels wrong about this. About going in there to, well, you know."

Her smile returned as she realized we were on the same page. Fingers gripped and slipped as she pressed our palms together and pulled my hand to her heart.

"We can't make love here for the first time."

I thought I had spoken, but it seemed Bella had the same thought at the same time. Our words tumbled and tangled, colored with relief and happiness. I didn't give a single thought to the roses waiting in the room I'd reserved, or the bottle of sparkling cider chilling in the refrigerator. Not once did I worry about the added cost of the jetted tub, balcony, or room service I'd arranged. All that mattered was making Bella comfortable. Unfortunately, my words didn't convey this concern.

"So, we're still doing this?"

Jesus, I was a dork. _This? Doing this? _Could I not at least call it what it was, like an adult at least?

"If by 'this,' you mean having sex, yes. Yes, Edward. I want you. Just not here. I don't know where, but not in some random hotel in Knoxville. I mean…am I right?"

I jammed the key back in the ignition, shoved the car in reverse, and stomped on the gas. If she wanted to go anywhere but where we were, I would get her there as quickly as I could.

**At this point, you can head over to the Dirty Cheeky Monkeys profile and read chapter 100 of Squeeze My Lemon for the outtake that follows. Or you can check my profile for my email address and request the PDF.**


	42. Chapter 42

**And here are two futuretakes from college Bella and Edward.**

Bella:

"God, the girls love him," I complained, watching Edward's approach across the quad.

Females of every size, shape, and color turned to watch as he passed, speaking if they had the nerve. He never left them hanging, either. If someone was brave enough to talk, he would always answer.

But his eyes were on me.

"You ready for the game tonight?"

I groaned and slumped forward in defeat. "You don't have something stupid planned, do you?"

With a laugh, he danced a few steps away, avoiding my playful punches, and shook his head. "Just some orange body paint. Gotta represent the Vols…cheer on my brother."

"Do we have to sit with all the frat guys this time?"

Edward was always ten times crazier when his fraternity brothers were around to encourage him. He hadn't yet attempted streaking across the field or the campus, but I had a feeling it was coming.

"Nah. It's just us this time. Every time. I could see you were uncomfortable last time."

It wasn't the brothers that made me uncomfortable, but the girls they brought along with them. Everyone always thought they had a claim on my boyfriend, simply because he was so open and friendly all the time. That included girls who didn't care that his arms were around me.

"I do have a question before we go." He looked around quickly and located a private bench by the library steps.

I curled up next to him and rested my head on his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne mixed with the last of the sticky, sweet summer air. Fall was coming—my favorite time of year. It brought memories of midnight fishing trips, football games and bonfires, and Edward Cullen on his knees, asking me to be his girlfriend.

"The frat house is a zoo," he started. "I thought it would be amazing—like living with twenty other Edwards, but it's a shithole."

I nodded. It really was the loudest, dirtiest, craziest, most offensive place on earth. I rarely stopped by, choosing to meet him out places or having him pick me up.

"I hate it, Bella. I fought all last year to get in, and now I want _out._"

"So move," I said with a shrug. I wasn't sure how any of that affected me. Well, except that I'd probably do my own public dance of joy if he left the house behind. "It can't be that big of a deal, right?"

He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. "I love you so much, baby."

Every time he said it was just like the first. My heart always stuttered and swelled, whether he whispered it or shouted it from the fifth floor window of the science building.

"I love you, too."

"Move in with me. Let's get an apartment together."

I backed away and stared, checking his face for any signs of teasing. He'd only looked more serious one time since I'd known him—the day he'd finally declared himself.

"Well, let's see," I started. "Can you keep the pranks to a minimum? Because I'll move right back out if you can't."

"Worth it."

"Can you do dishes and fold laundry? Because I won't do it all."

"Worth it."

"Can you dodge a bullet? Because my dad will try to shoot you."

"Worth it."

"Good. I'll let you tell him. When are we moving?"

He laughed and pulled me back to his side, nuzzling the top of my head with his nose. "Tomorrow soon enough?"


	43. Chapter 43

Edward:

I knew exactly what she was doing when she twirled her hair and looked up at me through her eyelashes. It was what Bella did when she wanted me to carry her to the bedroom. On my girlfriend, it was gorgeous. On Lauren, it was ridiculous.

"Is there something in your hair?" I feigned concern with the hope she'd stop playing with it.

"You're so cute," she simpered in return.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Thanks. So the presentation—how are we gonna do this?"

Dr. Lloyd was officially on my shit list for pairing me with the vapid president of Lambda Nu, and no one wanted to be on my shit list. I mentally made a to-do list that included shaving cream, condoms, toilet paper, shoe polish, eggs, and his brand new Chevy Tahoe. The hope was that he'd never make the same mistake again.

"Do you want to come to the sorority house tonight and work on this?"

_Ew, no._

"The library's fine," I asserted. "Just fine. Better than fine."

The moment we were dismissed, I dragged my bag off the table and ran for the door. Lauren followed close behind, making promises to have her roommate take a hike so we'd have peace and quiet.

"Library," I repeated, stopping in front of the elevator and hitting the down button with force.

Where the hell was the elevator? I punched the button again, knowing it wouldn't make the car appear faster.

"But we could have beer after—"

I left her there waiting for the lift and headed for the stairs. I didn't care to walk down five flights, especially since the girl couldn't keep up with me in her heels. I'd underestimated her, though. She kept pace just fine, and even ran into my back when I spotted something outside and came to a screeching halt.

"What are you doing?"

I ignored her as I threw open the window and stuck my head out. There, five stories below, was the girl of my dreams.

"Bella!"

She looked up and frowned when she saw Lauren hanging over my shoulder.

_Oh, no, baby. I don't flirt anymore. Not with anyone but you._

"Attention, everyone!"

I then had an audience of about a hundred students milling around the science building. Perfect.

"I want you all to know I love Bella Swan. I love you, baby. Just you and always you."

My beautiful girlfriend blushed but didn't try to hide her face. Her eyes shone as she mouthed the words in return.

Feeling like a rock star, a king, and a ninja, I turned to the stunned girl behind me. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but _that's _the girl I'm gonna marry someday. I'm not gonna mess it up by doing this project at your house. The library is fine."


	44. Chapter 44

**And finally, this is how it all started.**

Edward:

"Get over there and help Edna and Jerry with those cows."

Mom wasn't taking no for an answer. Emmett already had his shoes on, so I wasn't getting any help from him. With a groan, I threw down the game controller and stomped to my closet to find my boots.

"You swore this wouldn't become a habit," I grumbled as I passed her on my way out the door.

"You'll help as much as she needs. Jerry can't do it all on his own, especially not since he's been so sick lately. You can be a gentleman and help her with the farm."

"Whatever."

I grumbled and kicked cow shit through all the tasks, shoving my brother when he tried to rub manure in my face. We were gross, sweaty, and really smelly when Edna called us into the house.

"Cookies!" I shouted, passing Emmett on my way to the front porch.

He swiped at me and missed, but made up for that when he caught up to me at the door. We tumbled together over the threshold and came to a stop at Edna's feet.

"Hey, boys." She wasn't the least bit upset that we'd nearly knocked her over. "Come have a seat."

I plopped down on the couch just as Emmett said, "Oh, no, we're gross."

He gave me a look as dirty as my shirt, but it was too late. I was already spreading cow shit all over the upholstery.

"You're gross, Edward. Are you gonna at least wash your hands before you eat?"

I looked at the brown coating my fingers and grinned. "Probably should."

We headed for the bathroom and cleaned up some. Emmett shoved me out of the way and finished first. When I got back to the living room, he'd already taken his cookies and run.

"Come on back and have a seat, dear."

I was stuck. I couldn't say no to sweet Granny Edna. With a sigh, I trudged over and plopped back down. She passed me a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, and I started shoving them in my mouth as quickly as I could while she chattered inanely about some grandkid in Arizona.

Just before I choked down the last of the milk, Jerry tromped through the front door with the mail.

"Letter from Charlie," he said gruffly, nodding once to acknowledge me.

I couldn't leave then without looking rude, so I waited patiently for Jerry to open the envelope. He smiled and passed something over to Edna.

"Oh, this is her. This is our little Bella."

She turned the page toward me, and my world came to a screeching halt.

Big brown eyes, long brown hair… Her smile was sparkly from the braces, but I didn't care. She was beautiful.

"It's her first high school photo," Edna told me. "She's a freshman, just like you. I've got some of her other picture in that album over there."

I wanted to see those pictures, and any other pictures Edna got in the future. It was all I could do to keep from snatching the one she held and running home with it. With no other obvious plan, I turned to Granny Edna and smiled.

"Are there any more cookies?"

I was settling in for the long haul. It was time to learn about Bella.


End file.
